Casting Shadows
by LittleOwl93
Summary: Hermione loves her friends more than she values her life, so when they're in danger how far will she go to protect them? Will she find light in a world full of evil? Or will a dangerous enemy make sure she stays in the darkness? Dark Dramione set after Deathly Hallows. Warnings: Violence, explicit language, death and content of a sexual nature.
1. Chapter 1

**Warnings: Violence, explicit language, death and content of a sexual nature.**

 **Thank you to my beta ShepardMasterMind.**

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The battle of Hogwarts had been a bloody one. There had been many lost from both sides. It was a tragic waste of life and magic. The only thing that Harry, Ron, and Hermione had to sweeten the bitter taste of death was the fact that the light side had prevailed. But they were stupid to think that the death of one person could bring down a whole army of death eaters, a government of corrupted politicians, and the pureblood mania that had swept across the globe.

'Of course the Death of Voldemort wasn't going to change much.' Hermione thought to herself as she stared blankly at the photo of her parents in her lap. Not really looking at it. The two figures in the photo turned blurry as Hermione's mind trailed off into deep thought as it often did. 'How could we be so stupid?' she cursed herself. 'Of course Voldemort had a plan in case he had been killed. He was the greatest dark wizard of all time.'

After the battle of Hogwarts had drawn to its bloody close, Voldemort had died and had turned to ashes. The death eaters fled as they had been instructed. The light side celebrated and then turned their attention to the cost of their victory. The aftermath was no better than the battle. The bodies of loved ones had been found around every corner. The piercing cries of mothers as they clutched their children in their arms. Mournful sobs from hearts being ripped in two. Sometimes silence. The silence was the worst.

After a few days of healing and repairing the damage the war had created they started getting word that muggle-born witches and wizards were still being interrogated by the Ministry of Magic. Wands were being confiscated from those deemed 'unworthy' to practice magic and those who refused were being beaten and sent to Azkaban. The Ministry still being corrupt was the first thing they learned. Then news started to filter through that Voldemort had a replacement. There was a new dark wizard at large but nobody even knew who it was. Next a new headmistress had been instated at Hogwarts by the Minister of Magic. The new headmistress was none other than Narcissa Malfoy. Professor McGonagall, of course, had objected. She went missing two days after that.

Then the attacks started. Ron and his family had been attacked at the burrow again. Ginny had been badly hexed and Molly had been splinched in her frantic efforts to escape with her family. 'At least they escaped and no-one died.' Hermione thought still staring at the blurs that were her obliviated parents. Then Harry had been ambushed while visiting Teddy at Andromeda's house. He managed to escape through the floo network after realising he was strongly outnumbered. She thought that Harry was set up, with Andromeda being Narcissa Malfoys sister. Harry said that she wouldn't have betrayed him. She was a firm believer of his cause. Then Hermione's parents old house had been set on fire as she attempted to gather some of her old things.

Hermione sat on the edge of what was now her bed in the small hut that herself, Harry and Ron were now living in. Well, hiding would be a more appropriate word. They had no idea what had hit them. They were unprepared for what would happen after the battle. To them it was either victory or death. They didn't think that the war would rage on. All they managed to do was create a small hiccup in the Dark Lord's grand regime. Yes, Voldemort was dead but his following was very much alive. The ideas he set in people's minds still being put into action. The purebloods reigned supreme. Lord Voldemort was clever. He had a backup plan. He had someone lined up to take his place. It was kept a complete secret, not even The Orders closest spies had knowledge of it happening. 'Evil genius' Hermione thought but then corrected herself. It was not genius. It was the obvious thing to do and everyone had missed it. It even got passed her brilliant mind. Something so simple. She blamed herself for them being stuck in hiding. She should have seen it coming.

She was now determined to find out who this new Dark Lord was. It was the only thing keeping her sane in this dingy little shack. If anyone was going to figure it out it would be her.

She brought her focus back to the photo sitting loosely in her grip. She missed her parents to no end. They didn't even know she existed. The figures in the photo blurred again this time because of the tears building up in Hermione's eyes. They actually hurt. She lifted her head up to stop them escaping from her eyes. She would not allow herself to be weak. Not now. One final thought of her mother and father standing in front of her, her mother's arms wide open tipped her over the edge. How she longed for them to just take her in their arms and make all of her troubles melt away. She felt one tear fall from her eye, staining the edge of the wooden photo frame, then the next a second later, sliding down her face, under her chin and onto her neck, the warmth of it actually comforting her slightly. She would do it for them. Only if the light side won this twisted war would she be able to see them again and maybe work towards reversing the damage she had inflicted on their minds. The longer she took though, the harder that would be. Discovering the new Dark Lord's identity was the first step.

"Hey Hermione I've had a thought!" Harry exclaimed loudly as he burst through Hermione's door and into her small, almost bare room.

They didn't have much these days. Less than they had the last time they were in hiding. Hermione's room was much cosier than Harry's although still dark, cold and dingy. She had managed to save a lot of her old photos before her house eventually burnt down. Someone had cast a very powerful fiendfyre and before long the whole house was engulfed in flames. The three of them were lucky to get out alive. Harry was impressed that Hermione had manged to save so much stuff from the inferno.

She had photos of her family all along her damp windowsill, all of them in sturdy but plain wooden frames. Mold forming on one or two from the condensation that was constantly making the windows of her room wet and foggy. She had a patchwork blanket on the end of her bed which Harry thought was homemade. It was torn in places but most of the detail was still immaculate. She had Floppity the bunny rabbit leaning up against her pillow looking as cheerful as ever. Despite the fact that one of his ears was hanging off, Hermione loved him dearly. Harry knew why. Floppity had been a gift from Hermione's father for her 8th birthday, one of the best days of Hermione's life. Harry had heard the story many times. Then there were three small boxes with 'Hermione' written on them in scruffy handwriting. They didn't look like they had been touched since the fire. A fine layer of ash still coated them.

Hermione looked up and glared at Harry. "Haven't you ever heard of knocking?" she spat.

"You're crying." Harry said as he stood in front of her. He reached out his hand to wipe a tear from her cheek but she quickly batted his hand away and looked at the floor. "What's got you down Mione?" he said as be plonked himself lazily on the bed next to her.

She shook her head and sighed. "I just miss my parents, that's all"

Harry put his arm around her and gave her a reassuring squeeze. "I know it doesn't stop you missing them, but you definitely did the right thing. You know that right? They're safe and that's the important thing." He said as he tucked one of the curls hanging in front of her face behind her ear.

She nodded and more tears fell from her eyes.

Harry had never really seen Hermione upset like this. He desperately wanted to make her happy again. He always admired her for being so strong.

Even though Harry loved his own parents he was kind of grateful not to have known them before they died. It would have been much harder to lose them if he had.

Hermione had grown up with hers and she was the one who had to make the decision to wipe their memories to keep them safe. Harry couldn't imagine how hard that would have been for her. He knew that the summer after Dumbledore's death, the summer Hermione had obviated her parents had been the hardest time of her life. He didn't expect her to cope but she did, magnificently. Now, she was crumpled in his arms, crying like he had never seen before.

He turned around and grabbed Floppity. "You've still got me Mione." Harry said in a quiet, high pitched voice as he shook the bunny in front of Hermione. "You will always have me, and Harry, and Ron, and we will never leave your side" Harry looked at Hermione who was now staring him right in the face. Her one eyebrow slightly lifted. Even though her face was tear stained she had managed a half smile.

"Where are your manners Hermione? Don't just ignore the poor rabbit." He nodded towards Floppity.

She inhaled deeply. "I really appreciate that Floppity." She said as though she was talking to a child.

Harry wiggled the bunny as he spoke in his high pitch still pretending that Floppity was the one talking. "Is there anything any of us can do for you?"

Hermione spoke in a soft but now serious tone. "When we find and kill the foul cockroach who has replaced Voldemort, will you help me find my parents?"

"Of course we will Hermione. I promise." Harry said as he pulled her into a hug. "Speaking of which." He said as he pulled out of the hug, placed his hands on Hermione's shoulders and looked her deep in the eyes. "I think I know who it could be."


	2. Chapter 2

Hermione felt her heart leap at the idea of finding out who the mysterious Dark Lord could be. She was a little annoyed that she might not be the person to figure it out, but was still overjoyed that they might finally be getting somewhere. It had been five months since the Battle of Hogwarts, and the Golden Trio were no closer to finding out who was behind all of the dark crime. The Auror department at the Ministry of Magic was just as corrupt as everything else. There was no one out there to keep the poor innocent people of the country safe.

"So who is it then, Harry?" Hermione asked excitedly, with wide eyes.

"Well I'm not one hundred percent sure, but I personally think I've cracked it! Come with me." Harry said as he got up and left the room.

Hermione followed him down the small corridor, past Harry and Ron's room where Ron was clearly asleep. Hermione could tell as her ears were filled with sounds that she would expect to come from an angry walrus. How Harry had shared a room with him for so long without losing his mind she would never know. Her mind snapped back to a brief time after they thought the war was over. Hermione and Ron had decided to have a go at being together. It had been ok while it lasted, but was quickly shattered as they were thrown back into battle with the dark side. Hermione hated to admit it, but she was kind of glad. Not for the war of course, but to have escaped the relationship in a guilt-free way. There was just too much going on to maintain a relationship. She didn't even think she was capable of love at the moment, not in that kind of way anyway. They had both decided it was for the best and no hearts were broken.

She followed Harry down the small, very cramped flight of stairs that led into their dull and unwelcoming living area. The only light and warmth was coming from the small fireplace at the far end of the room.

Harry fell onto the worn sofa in front of the fire and pointed to the Daily Prophet on the coffee table in front of him.

Hermione looked at the moving photo of the blonde headed man shaking hands with the Minister of Magic, both sets of eyes practically burning into her skin as if they were really standing before her. It made her feel uneasy.

"What are you saying Harry, that Lucius Malfoy is the new Dark Lord?" Hermione said almost mockingly.

"No actually, I think its Draco." Said Harry very matter of fact.

Hermione laughed. "Okay, Harry no need to be sarcastic!"

Harry didn't say anything. He just glared at Hermione.

"Oh, you're actually being serious?" Hermione's grin dropped into a serious stare.

"Well don't you think it's obvious? His mother is headmistress of Hogwarts and his father practically best friends with the Minister for Magic. That's a mighty good position for the Malfoy's to have just stumbled upon!" Harry said, the frustration at Hermione's reaction clear in his voice.

"But Harry, the Malfoys weren't exactly in Voldemort's good books when he was alive. Why would he want to give any of them so much power?"

Harry shrugged "Maybe that's what he wanted people to think."

Hermione considered it for a moment but quickly dismissed it. "There's no way Draco Malfoy, or any of the Malfoys for that matter, is the new Dark Lord. Lucius failed during the battle in the Department of Mysteries. Draco failed to follow Voldemort's command to kill Dumbledore. And Narcissa, why did she lie to Voldemort about you being dead? Isn't that what you said?" Hermione crossed her arms over her chest as she spoke.

Harry just stared at her. She could see his brain working desperately to back up his theory, to no avail.

"Harry, you need to let go of this silly grudge you have against the Malfoys." Hermione said as she walked over to the sofa and lowered herself down onto it beside Harry and put her hand on his shoulder to comfort him. "To me, they seem to have been just caught up in a bad situation."

"I actually believe there is a strong chance it could be Lucius." came a voice from across the room.

Harry and Hermione turned around to see Ron standing at the bottom of the stairs in his scraggly night robe.

"And what makes you say that Ron?" Hermione asked, after clearing her throat and moving her hand from Harry's shoulder into her lap.

"Just putting two and two together really." he shrugged.

"Care to enlighten us pal?" Harry asked, with a baffled look on his face.

"Well he was Voldemort's right hand man, right to the bitter end." He said as he moved over to the faded old sofa and slumped between Harry and Hermione. He looked at the Prophet on the table and examined the blonde man in the photo. "I imagine if Voldemort had chosen Lucius to replace him should the worst happen, that he would have trained him. He would have taught him pretty much everything he knew." Ron said and he looked from the paper and into the small dancing flames in the fireplace. "My dad told me some stories about Lucius from his ministry days. He was a cruel man. As Voldemort got more powerful the things Lucius would do became more unspeakable. Dad doesn't understand how he even got away with it."

Ron looked at Harry and then to Hermione for some kind of reaction to his thoughts on the matter. They just looked at him, willing him to continue.

"Voldemort would have been giving him tasks to fulfil. We saw him fail in the Department of Mysteries but we didn't see him succeed in many others. You've heard the rumours right?

They both nodded. It was indeed possible that it could be Lucius. He was renowned for his cruel ways and his views on pureblood supremacy. His magical ability was great but none of them had really seen him use any magic, so it was hard to tell for sure if he possessed the ability to run the dark wizarding world.

"I just don't know who else it could be." Ron shrugged. "It's as good a guess as any."

They all sat in silence for a moment or two. All three of them in deep thought.

A loud knock on the rickety wooden door knocked them all out of their trance. All three of them immediately grabbed their wands and stared at the door. There was silence.

Who could have gotten past the wards? Hermione had made sure they were well hidden in this forest. The only way someone would find them is if they were given exact directions.

"Harry." Slithered a whisper through a crack in the door.

Hermione gripped her wand tighter, ready for a fight.

"Harry… It's Ginny, will you let me in its bloody freezing out here!" Whispered a very annoyed, shivering voice.

"Ginny?" Harry said in disbelief. "Where did we have our first kiss?" He said as he cautiously approached the door.

Harry heard an irritated sigh from the other side of the door. "The Gryffindor Common Room." Said a calm voice. "Now bloody let me in!" She snapped.

Harry unlatched the door and sure enough there was Ginny, Luna, Seamus, Neville, and Dean.

He pulled them all into a tight hug "You have no idea how happy I am to see you guys." He said, beaming with happiness. "How did you find us?"

"We've been talking to Ron for the past week." Luna said dreamily. "We've been communicating via rat."

"I thought I'd keep it a surprise." Ron said sheepishly.

"That's incredible Ron!" Harry pulled out of the group hug and pulled Ginny aside. He planted a kiss on her forehead and held her hand in his. "You look beautiful."

She blushed and pulled his hand up to her mouth to kiss his knuckles. "I've missed you Harry."

Everyone was sat around the coffee table staring at the newspaper in the middle of it.

"Harry, where did you get this newspaper?" Hermione asked.

"Andromeda," Harry said, very apprehensively, after a few seconds.

"How long have you had it?" Ron asked, with panic in his voice, as Hermione and himself immediately reached for their wands.

"Relax, Ron. Okay?" Harry rolled his eyes and slumped back into the sofa.

"How do you expect him to relax Harry? She betrayed you once already! How did she send it to you?" Hermione's eyes were darting all over the room as though they had an intruder amongst them.

Everyone in the room stared at Harry willing him to answer. Of course he knew he'd been stupid. He was just so desperate to fix everything. He needed some information from the world he had been locked out of, a piece to an impossible puzzle. He had long grown tired of waiting for answers to fall into his lap and he trusted Andromeda. She was Tonks' mum after all.

"By owl." He said, looking to the floor.

He didn't have to hear anyone's opinion about what he had done. He felt the disappointment cover him like a blanket.

"Well Harry, you will be on watch tonight then." Hermione spat, still looking unsure of her surroundings. "Come on Ginny, Luna, I will show you where you can sleep. It's very small here so I'm sorry if you don't have enough space. I miss the tent Ron, Harry and I stayed in before. It was much nicer." She led the girls up the stairs and into her room.

Harry didn't lift his head from the floor, he was ashamed.

"What were you thinking Harry? You've put as all at risk, and for what? A newspaper?" Said Ron trying to cover the annoyance in his voice but failing.

Harry just sat in silence. He already knew he was stupid he didn't need a lecture right now.

Ron sighed deeply. "Right then you three, I'll show you to your room. You can have mine and Harry's bedroom. I will join him down here tonight to keep watch." He led the boys up the stairs and left Harry alone with his thoughts. His terrible, haunting thoughts.

Harry had murdered many people during the battle of Hogwarts. He didn't even know their names. He didn't know the families he was ripping apart. The wives who'd had the loves of their lives taken from them. The orphaned children now left without parents, like him. He felt a twang of guilt wash over him as he pictured the nameless faces, while he drew the light out of their eyes. Sure they were all death eaters, but human all the same. Just like him, and everyone he loved. A tear fell from his eye onto his lap. This war had destroyed them all. The people they had all been during their time at Hogwarts were gone. They were cold monsters, driven insane by bloodshed and fear.

"Harry?" Her voice was like music to his ears. "Harry? Are you alright?" She was closer now, he could feel it. "Don't be too hard on yourself. We all make mistakes and do things we regret." Ginny sat down next to Harry and put her hand on his thigh, the other hand reached up and started to stroke his hair soothingly.

"What would you know about regret Ginny?" He hissed as he brought his gaze to meet hers.

His once cheery, glowing green eyes were dim and lifeless. He noticed the hurt on her face. He knew he should care but he didn't. He had much bigger things to worry about than the feelings of a petulant little child.

She moved her hands away from him and put them into her lap, as though his body had grown hot and she had scalded her fingers by touching him.

"We _all_ do things we regret Harry." She repeated. The loving tone in her voice was gone. "It doesn't make us bad people though, right?"

"How do you know it doesn't? You don't know anything about me or what I've been through!"

"Well then help me understand, Harry please."

"I'm a murderer!" He shouted as he lifted the coffee table from where it had sat in front of them and threw it across the room. It smashed through everything in its path.

The silence after was deafening. Ginny just sat there on the sofa. She didn't move although she had flinched slightly as Harry flung the coffee table into the air and into the small kitchen area across the room. The sound of clattering pots and smashing glasses had filled her ears for a moment. Then there was nothing but silence.

Harry felt terrible for his actions, but knowing that she would never be able to understand the pain he felt, or take it away made him furious. He felt a distance between them that he didn't understand, maybe they were growing apart, or maybe he really had just turned into a heartless monster. Incapable of causing anything but pain to those around him.

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 **With thanks to my beta, ShepardMasterMind.**


	3. Chapter 3

Hermione, Ginny and Luna had left the boys down stairs and headed to bed. Hermione was drained after her breakdown that evening. She was humiliated that Harry had found her in that state. She never expressed her emotions, not anymore. Emotions she had learned were merely weakness. She couldn't afford to be weak. She would fall into a hole of blackness if she allowed her feelings to take over.

She entered the bedroom, pulled out her wand and pointed it towards her bed. "Geminio" she said and with a swish of her wand another bed pulled out of Hermione's bed with a pop, half the size of the original. With another swish of her wand the new bed fell softly next to hers and grew to be the same size and completely identical. She repeated the spell and put another bed to the other side of hers. Her room wasn't large. There was now barely room to move in the claustrophobic space she now called home. Although not for much longer, she thought bitterly. They would surely have to find somewhere else now. Too many people knew where they were and Hermione didn't trust Andromeda in the slightest.

"Wow, thank you Hermione!" Exclaimed Ginny excitedly. "We have so much to catch up on. I am so happy to be with you all again. I've missed you so much."

She really did look happy. Hermione hadn't seen happiness in what felt like a lifetime. There was the brief moment after the battle. They thought they had won and the joy on people's faces made Hermione's heart glow. It was a premature celebration. The joy was short lived. It quickly dissolved into bitter depression. They were still in the middle of war and they lost many people for letting their guard down. Hermione pushed past the negative thoughts which now permanently lived in every corner of her mind and smiled at Ginny. "I've missed you too, Gin." Ginny pulled her in for a quick tight hug "Later though?" She asked. "I should really go and check on Harry. He means well you know?"

"Of course I know, Ginny. He's been through a hard time just like the rest of us. We'll be okay as long as we all stick together."

Ginny smiled, and with a flick of her lovely red hair she was gone. Hermione drew her attention to Luna who was staring intently at the boxes in the corner of the room with Hermione's name on them.

"Are you alright, Luna?" She asked and Luna didn't quite acknowledge her. She just stood for a few moments longer looking at the boxes. Finally she answered. "What are in these boxes?" She looked up at Hermione with her dreamy blue eyes, always filled with love and curiosity. Hermione loved Luna. Aside from Ginny she was her best friend. "They look rather old."

"Yes I imagine they are. I found them in my old house the night it was burnt down. I imagine they belonged to my parents.

"You imagine?" Luna asked looking rather puzzled. "You mean to tell me you haven't looked?"

"I've been busy with everything that's going on. It's probably just a load of stupid old baby photos or something." She dismissed.

"You have to open them!" Luna had wide eyes and looked excited. "Here." Said Luna as she pulled out her wand and pointed it at the smallest box."Cistem aperio!" The folds at the top of the box flew open and Hermione walked over to the box and her eyes were immediately drawn to a small wooden chest with the letter 'P' embezzled in lovely red stones on the lid. She reached into the box and pulled out the chest. The curiosity she had supressed now tingling her senses.

She softly opened the chest and found three scrolls of paper inside and a necklace. It had a gold chain and a dark red tear shaped stone set in a gold pendant. It was beautiful and caught the dim candlelight of her room brilliantly.

She unrolled the first scroll to see her mother's lovely elegant handwriting, swirls and all.

 _My Darling Hermione,_ _if you are reading this I am probably no longer with you. I wanted to tell you this in person so forgive me if this is the way you find out. I couldn't risk something happening to me and you never knowing who you really are. I decided to write this so in the case of my death you would still have the opportunity to know the truth._

 _You are not who I have brought you up to believe you are. You are not Hermione Jean Granger. Your real name is in fact Hermione Molly Jean Prewett. Your real father is Fabian Prewett. He is a wizard. I assume that you will too inherit his magical ability but for now we must keep you a secret and live a 'muggle life'. Or so your father called it._

Hermione heard a large clatter from downstairs over the sound of her heart beating in her ears. It sounded like it came from the kitchen but she didn't care. Sure it could be an attack but she didn't want to acknowledge it. She had to continue reading. She'd fallen to her knees but she didn't even realise that she was no longer standing. She felt tears tickling her eyes.

 _He said the wizarding world had been thrown into war. The dark wizard responsible was unhappy with our relationship. He said because I possess no magical ability I had been deemed unworthy to be with him. If they found out we had a child together they would have killed us all. We parted ways five years ago now. He went to fight the war and I went into hiding with my family. He said if everything ended well he would find me. I miss him deeply but I have no clue how things turned out. He hasn't yet come back for us so I assume it didn't end well or it's still going on to this day._

 _I met a lovely man when I decided it was time to go back to work, we're married now. He loves you dearly and has promised to raise you as his own. You seem to like him too, which makes my heart hurt with happiness. I am so very sorry for keeping this from you. I just want you to be safe and have a normal life. Your father gave me this chest and its contents before he left, for you. Please forgive me._

 _All my love, Mum._

 _Xxx_

Silence rang in Hermione's ears. She couldn't speak. She couldn't even think. Her father wasn't who she thought he was. Fabian Prewett? Who the hell was Fabian Prewett? Why hadn't her mother told her sooner? He was a wizard. Hermione had discovered she was a witch at age 11 when she had a visit from Professor McGonagall with a letter to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Why hadn't her mother at least told her then? The war was obviously over! She tried to say something but choked on her words. She didn't think it was possible to feel any more pain than she already had, but her mother had proved her wrong, with one stupid letter.

* * *

Harry stood glued to the spot. His breaths ridged. He could hear Ginny's soft, frightened, barely audible breaths in one ear, and rushed footsteps in the other.

"What's going on?" Neville said cautiously as he stepped into the light of the room, wand out and ready to defend his friends.

"Nothing, Neville." Ginny said, her words barley a whisper. "Harry just got a little…" she paused for a moment before she continued. "…Upset."

"I need some air." Harry said and with that grabbed his coat from the back of a misplaced dining chair and headed for the door.

"Harry no! It's not safe!" Ginny pleaded as she shot up from the sofa and tried to catch up with him. She was too late. The door had already slammed in her face. She turned for the stairs, ignoring Neville as he tried to check if she was alright.

Ginny walked up the stairs and onto to the almost completely dark landing. As she walked back towards Hermione's room she felt a strong hand grab her forearm and pull her into a room. It was dark but she could make out the outline of a sink. The room felt damper than the others so she guessed it was the bathroom.

The figure stepped closer to her, his face almost touching hers. She could make out the smirk on his face and soon realized it belonged to Dean. She had seen it enough times in the past to recognise it.

"So you told him about us then?" He said in a smooth, obnoxious voice.

"No Dean I certainly did not. You would be dead now if I had." Her eyes burned into his. "Besides, there would be nothing to tell. There is no _us_." She snapped.

"You weren't saying that last night." His words like acid in her ears.

"I did what I _had_ to do." She hissed as she pulled her arm away from his grip and left the room, slamming the door behind her and ignoring his objections.

She headed once again towards Hermione's room. She needed her best friend right now. She opened the door to find Hermione in a ball in the corner of the room with Luna's arms wrapped around her. She was whispering soothing words.

What the hell is going on? What had gotten into everyone? Ginny couldn't believe what had happened to her friends and boyfriend in the four months they had been apart.

"Hermione?" Ginny said as she softly entered the room.

"I need to get out of here I can't take it anymore!" Hermione gripped the parchment in her hand tightly and made her way for the door. She was blocked by Ginny. "No Hermione, please! Not you too! It's not safe!" But Ginny's words fell on deaf ears as Hermione wriggled out of her grip and Ginny was again greeted with a door slamming in her face.

Hermione ran past many of her friends' confused faces on her way through the house but she didn't stop. She needed to breathe. She burst through the front door of the shack and the crisp air of the forest stung her dry face. She inhaled the air into her lungs until her nose and throat grew sore. She walked a few steps. She knew her wards would stop people stumbling across them but she was still scared she might be seen. She listened to the noises of the forest and they calmed her mind.

"Hermione?" She heard Harry's voice through the trees. She hadn't heard him follow her out so had he already been out here? "It's not safe out here. What are you doing?"

Harry looked depressed. She couldn't help but sympathise with him. What had they become?

"I'm sorry about the Prophet Hermione." He said sincerely.

"No, I'm sorry for giving you a hard time over it. Ginny told me you didn't mean any harm."

His head dropped to the floor. He was disgusted with how he had treated Ginny. Yes he loved her. Not in the way she wanted him to. He loved her as a sister. Not in the same way he loved Hermione. She understood him. They had been through everything together and Harry really thought he could save her if she would just let him. He knew she was broken, even before today. He could feel her pain as if it was his own and he was sure that she would be able to feel his too and take it away if she chose to but She saw him as a brother. No matter how hard he tried he could never change that. There was something different about Hermione tonight. Harry could sense it.

"Somethings wrong." He said as he walked up to her. Just in time to catch her as she collapsed onto the damp forest floor. They both landed together, Harry's arms wrapped around her tightly as her chest heaved. "Shhhh, shhhh, it will be alright."

Ten minutes had passed and Hermione's sobs had drawn to a soft whimper. Her body shook in Harry's arms. Probably from the cold, he thought.

"What's happened?" he said as he cupped her chin in his hand as pulled her face up to look at his. Her big, beautiful caramel eyes were wet and outlined in red.

"I'm not Hermione Granger." She said and pulled her head out of his grasp and placed it into the crook of his neck instead.

Fear swept over Harry's body. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm Hermione Prewett." And she sobbed as the sentence drew to a close.

"Prewett?" Harry didn't understand in the slightest.

Hermione started to explain about the letter she had found in the box from her house. Harry could barely understand her through the sobs and hiccups.

"My real father is a wizard named Fabian Prewett." She sniffed.

"That's Ginny and Ron's uncle, Hermione!" Harry said as he pulled her into his view. "Are you sure?"

"It was my mums handwriting." She said as she rigidly nodded.

"How can this be?" Harry seemed deep in thought now. Hermione probably understood less than he did so she didn't disturb his thoughts. "Hermione, I'm so sorry you've found out like this." He said as he pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Where do you think he is now, Harry?" She looked at him again. "My real father?"

"Oh Hermione, I'm so sorry." And he genuinely was. "He died in the first war."

She stared blankly at him for a moment, and then closed her eyes. She couldn't mourn the loss of a father she never knew, but the pain in her heart at this moment was so strong she thought it might stop beating. She would never know.

"Here." Harry lifted the sleeve of his coat to reveal a fine watch. "Molly gave me this on my seventeenth birthday." It was extravagant despite the dent on the rim of the face. Rather than hands to point to the numbers it had stars that glistened like the ones in the sky. How had she never noticed this watch before? "She said it had once belonged to her brother, Fabian." Hermione's eyes widened as she examined the small ruby's dotted around the outside of the face. They shone like the stone in her necklace.

"I want you to have it, Hermione." He placed the watch in her small, pretty hands. Her smile made him melt and he knew at that moment that he had done the right thing. He loved to save her from the hurt and pain of the world, one small act at a time. "Now let's go back inside before we get ourselves killed." He picked her up and supported her by her waist as he led her back towards the hut.

* * *

 **Quick note: I would just like to say I'm sorry to those who don't like Hermione's heritage to be changed. It is quite important to the plot and if I could've avoided it I would've. I've tried to reveal it as early as possible so If you really can't stand it you're not in too deep.**

 **Also, I'm still looking for a beta. Thank you for reading.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Quick note: I have uploaded both chapters 3 & 4 at the same time, so please make sure you've read 3 before you continue. Thanks and hope you enjoy!**

* * *

The living area was empty when they emerged through the front door of the hut. They noticed Ron asleep on the sofa. Hermione was surprised that they didn't hear him first. She giggled at her own thought.

"What's so funny?" Harry said as he swung her around gently and caught her arms.

"I'm just glad we've all still got each other." She smiled. "You and Ron mean the world to me. I don't know how I could possibly cope without you." She looked into Harry's eyes. There was a hint of the old Harry again; his eyes glowed like they hadn't for a long time now. Hermione compared them to grass on a summer's day when they lit up like this.

"I couldn't cope without you, Hermione." His eyes turned sad and hurt.

"What's wrong, Harry?"

With that he moved closer to Hermione and closed the gap between them. He was now just inches away from her lips, and then pulled away, as if he had seen something horrible on her face. His eyes were gloomy again, the life that was in them only moments ago had vanished.

"I'm sorry Hermione. I'm just so glad to have friends like you and Ron... and Ginny" He sighed. "I'm lucky to have a girl as great as her." He looked at Hermione and smiled. "It's been a really long day for all of us. Maybe we should both get some rest?" He gave Hermione a nudge in the direction of the stairs.

"Good night, Harry." She said so softly his heart almost broke.

She made her way up the stairs and saw the dim candlelight from her room. She knew Ginny and Luna were still awake. Why wouldn't they be? They were probably worried. Especially Ginny, having had her boyfriend and her best friend disappear on her at the same time. She thought back to her encounter with Harry. It had been different than before, after he had held her on the cold wet floor of the forest to comfort her. He was her friend right? That's what friends did. She thought as she slowed before entering the room. Had he tried to kiss her just now? She dismissed the thought, because even if he had, they were both exhausted mentally and physically. Neither of them knew what they were doing. And with that she pushed it from her thoughts and entered the room.

Ginny and Luna were indeed awake, looking at the photos on Hermione's windowsill. "You look so happy here, Hermione!" Luna said cheerfully, her face grew serious when she turned to face Hermione. "My word, you look dreadful."

"Well isn't that just how it is? One minute your happy and nothing can go wrong in your life, then the next your life has fallen apart, you've forgotten what happiness is and then you don't even know who you are." Hermione was clearly lost in thought as she emotionlessly spoke the words.

"I'm sorry about making you read the letter, Hermione." Luna said, her tone was serious but her face was as lost and dreamy as ever.

"No, I'm glad I know. I'm hurt but to know the truth is always better."

"So, Hermione." Said Ginny leaning over the bed next to the window. "I hear we're cousins." Ginny could see the pain in Hermione's eyes but couldn't contain her excitement as she giggled.

That was the one thing that Hermione was grateful for, having Ginny her best friend now an official member of her family. Well it was more like Hermione was an official member of Ginny's family.

"Mum is going to be thrilled!" Ginny said in her excited tone but her face suddenly dropped into a blank stare, she'd obviously remembered something and was now deep in thought.

Yes, Molly was now Hermione's aunt and at this moment she couldn't be happier. Molly was the kindest woman she had ever met in her entire life. Then Ron slipped into her mind. 'Ron is my cousin.' She inwardly gagged at the thought of them kissing and touching each other when they had been together. She thanked Merlin that they had never been intimate.

"What else do you know about him, Gin? Hermione said as she sat down on what she assumed was now Ginny's bed.

"He was a Gryffindor!" She said happily. "I heard he was very brave."

Hermione smiled. She had hoped to hear good things.

"He was killed by death eaters during the first war." Ginny said quietly.

Hermione's smile dropped from her face.

"Voldemort put a bounty on his head. He had apparently disgraced pure-bloods because he had asked a muggle to be his wife." Ginny looked sad as she spoke. "He was captured in the end, with his bother Gideon. They were killed by about five death eaters, including Antonin Dolohov."

Hermione felt an ache of pain in her chest that she didn't recognise.

"They died fighting though. They were members of the original Order you know?" Her happy tone had now returned. "I'm proud to be his niece." She said with a smile.

Hermione was proud to be his daughter, although the pain she felt wouldn't allow her to acknowledge the feeling.

"Thank you, Ginny." Hermione forced a smile. "I really need to get to bed. Good night both."

Hermione didn't sleep that night. She had thought about everything that had happened over the last twenty four hours, the discovery about her family, her new found blood status, and Harry. She desperately wanted to just switch off and let sleep wash away all of her thoughts like a calm ocean. It never came.

She slid up in her bed. She thought it might be around 5.30am. She slid her legs out of her cold sheets, picked up a few of her things and exited for the bathroom. She took off her cold clothes and stepped into an even colder shower. How she wished for warmth again, she always felt cold and her body ached. She didn't stay in there for long and quickly stepped out and wrapped herself in a rough towel. Trying to stop her teeth from chattering she quickly dried herself and slipped on the clothes she had grabbed from her room. She wore a pair of light blue jeans, a grey tank top and a black hoodie. She pulled her cold damp hair into a lazy bun, a few wet curls escaped here and there.

She picked up the necklace she had found the day before and put it around her neck. It was a beautiful piece of jewellery and it hung perfectly just below her collarbones. The red stone in the pendant seemed to be alive, like a naked flame. She admired it for a few moments before she left the bathroom and went downstairs.

She noticed Harry slumped on the sofa. He looked as tired as she felt. "Morning" he managed to say as he hoisted himself upright. He looked truly exhausted.

"Morning, Harry." She said as she grabbed her boots and sat on the bottom of the stairs to put them on.

"Listen, Hermione, last night.."

She cut him off before he could finish. "Thank you for all you did. You're a very, very good friend. We don't need to speak of it again." She felt awkward in this situation and she didn't know why. Then suddenly bangs and sparks of light from outside then took their attention away from the awkwardness.

"Harry, what is that?" She said very quietly as the bangs got louder and the sparks grew brighter.

"We're under attack Hermione." He said it so quietly she could barely hear him. Then he shouted. "We're under attack!" as he leaped into action, waking Ron from his sleep. "We're under attack everyone get up and take your positions!" He screamed, his eyes frantically searching the room. "Hermione, where's the portkey?" The panic was clear in his voice.

Hermione's mind clouded over. Maybe it was due to exhaustion, maybe it was the shock. People had now begun to rush around her, casting protective spells on the doors and windows. She didn't want to believe what was happening.

"Hermione!" Harry grabbed her by the shoulders. "The portkey, we need to find it now!"

Hermione had cast disapparition charms for miles around what had become their home. They had a portkey so they could escape if they needed to but it was nowhere to be seen. Hermione pulled out her wand and ran up the stairs. "Accio portkey" She said expecting the portkey to fly out of hiding. Nothing happened. She frantically searched through the two small rooms on the upper level but couldn't find it. It was a golden Lion head and wasn't easily concealed. Where could it be? "Accio portkey" she whispered in one last desperate attempt. It was gone, she knew it.

She ran back down the stairs to find that Harry had come to the same conclusion. They glanced at each other for a moment and shared a concerned look.

"We can't just stay in here and wait to be murdered!" Ginny said desperately.

"We have no idea how many of them are out there." Neville said impatiently.

"They're going to kill us either way Neville!" Ginny spoke like she was talking to a small child.

"Stop! This isn't helping anyone." Harry said. He looked as though he was desperately trying to gather his thoughts, to figure out a plan.

Why did they never have a plan? Hermione thought.

Ginny turned to her. "Do you want to die a sitting duck, Hermione? Or do you want to go down with a fight? Like your father did. He fought with honour!"

Everyone in the room apart from Luna, and Harry looked at them in complete confusion. Hermione blinked back the tears biting the backs of her eyes and then turned to look at Harry. "I want to fight."

Harry observed her for a moment. He didn't want any of them to die. He sighed. "Okay, I will meet you half way. We make a break for it. We are not ready to fight the death eaters, not yet." His eyes were worried but his voice was confident. "We all run for it, and as soon as we have passed the borders of the charms and wards we disapparate to Shell Cottage. Is that clear?" He looked around at the faces of his friends. They all seemed contempt with the idea.

Harry continued as they rallied around the door, ready to run. "No one stops under any circumstances. That's an order." He said very sternly eyeballing his group. "One person making it out of this situation alive is better than none. On the count of three.. one.. two.. three, go, go, go!"


	5. Chapter 5

Hermione dashed out of the door and into the forest. She was surprised that no spells were being fired at her, but she still ran through the darkness as fast as her legs could carry her, the branches of trees were attacking her skin as she ran, almost as if the forest itself was against her. It was still dark outside so she knew it had to be before seven in the morning.

Damned Andromeda! Hermione cursed as she ran, her heart once again thumping in her ears giving her a headache. Her chest was starting to burn as the cold winter air attacked her lungs but she couldn't think about that now.

Just as Hermione had gained a steady pace, red and green bolts of light started to hit the trees around her. She considered stopping to fight but dismissed the thought. She had to get out of here alive.

She narrowly avoided the roots of trees that threatened to trip her up and leave her at the mercy of the heavy footsteps behind her. They sounded like they were moving faster than hers.

Before Hermione knew what had hit her she had slammed into the floor. The damp forest ground knocked the cold breath right out of her. Her wand had flown out of her hand, she was completely defenceless. She tried desperately to pull herself to her feet but failed. She realised she had a thick rope binding her legs together, so she crawled, looking for her wand.

"Looking for this?" She heard the rough, menacing voice come from above her.

She looked up to see a tall man, with black hair and a twisted face glaring down at her. His black robes indicated that he was a death eater. She didn't care; she spat at his feet and tried to continue to crawl away. She was met with a heavy boot kicking her square in the ribs. It winded her like she had never been winded before. She gasped for air as he rolled her onto her back to face him. "I'll do much worse than that if you don't learn how to behave yourself, Mudblood." He spat as she struggled beneath his monstrous grip.

"I'd rather be a Mudblood than a filthy death eater!" She struggled to spit the words through half gritted teeth.

He howled with laughter before roughly dragging her up by her hair. She watched as he twirled her wand between his bony, long fingers. "Looks like I've caught myself a feisty one." He whispered in her ear as she desperately tried to loosen his grip on her hair.

"What were you told about playing around with the prisoners?" A strangely familiar voice came through the trees. Hermione strained her eyes to focus on the blurry figure emerging through the tree trunks. There was a little bit of light over the horizon now, as the sun had started to rise.

"Drop her, _now_. You blithering idiot." Said the voice again, his voice filled with authority and laced with what Hermione thought was anger. She knew who it was now.

She hit the floor hard as the death eater released her hair. Due to the ropes around her ankles she couldn't keep her balance.

"Stick to the plan, alright?" Draco snapped at the bigger, dark haired death eater. His features plain, he seemed calm and collected but had a crazed look in his eyes.

He didn't look like he had been fighting in the forest that morning. His robes were immaculate Hermione noticed. Almost as if he was the man in charge. Hermione thought back to Harry's accusations about Malfoy being Voldemort's heir. She had dismissed him because Merlin knows Malfoy didn't have the guts, but looking at him now, she felt differently. He had changed. He was no longer the scrawny streak of piss he had been in school. He was a man now. She was studying the malicious look on his face when his wand pointed in her face knocked her out of her thoughts.

Her eyes widened and her heart stopped as he opened his mouth to curse her.

"Stupefy." He said calmly. A red blast shot from the tip of Draco's wand and wrapped around Hermione's body. She didn't have time to be confused about why he hadn't just killed her right there and then. She was out cold.

* * *

Hermione woke with her face pressed against a cold, hard surface. Her body ached and her head throbbed. She heard voices around her but she couldn't make out what was being said. The pain in her head was almost too much to bear. The ringing sound in her ears drowned out everything going on around her. She tried to open her eyes but quickly closed them again as a bright light assaulted her brain. She stirred slightly to take the weight off her hip which she thought would break if she didn't.

"You're awake." She heard the soothing voice from above her. Whoever it was sounded happy. She couldn't place the voice but he thought she had heard it before at some point in her life. Her head ached and her ears were still ringing. She lay there motionlessly. Unable to think, speak or move. Thoughts from the fight in the forest filled her mind. No, it couldn't be. She had been captured. Where was she? Who else hadn't made it?

"Don't pretend girl!" snarled the voice from above her once again. Every syllable pronounced perfectly. "I know you're awake."

She tried to open her eyes again; this time was a little more successful, making out the figure of a tall man. There was also a bright light being shone at her in an otherwise dull room. That's all she could see before the light stung her eyeballs again and she snapped them shut once more.

Even though the floor was cold, the room was actually quite humid, the air stuck in her throat, her incredibly sore throat.

"Aqua eructo." She briefly heard the sparks of a wand before she was being mercilessly blasted with cold water. "This should wake her up." She heard the voice chuckle evilly and heard other voices around the room begin to laugh.

She tried to scurry away from the freezing cold blast, her eyes adjusting to her surroundings but stinging as they were filled with water from the spell. She tried to hoist herself up but quickly slid back down again ungracefully, the wet marble floor beneath her now like ice. She thrashed her legs around enough to realise she was somehow chained to the floor. The spell finally stopped. She breathed for a few seconds and then hoisted herself into her knees and looked up at her captor.

She could only really see a black figure, there was a bright light being shone directly at her from behind him and her eyes were still trying to adjust. She didn't say anything. She decided to just stare directly in front of her and not look at anything in particular.

"Where is Harry Potter?" said the voice which was growing more familiar the more she heard it.

Harry had gotten away. She inwardly sighed with relief. She decided to ignore the question as though she hadn't heard it and continued to look off into the distance of the room. It was a large room she could tell. The marble floors were white. The extravagant black curtains over the windows of the wall she was looking towards were closed. There was little light in the room other than the one currently being shone in her face.

She was suddenly aware of a gloved hand coming towards her face out of the corner of her eye but she didn't have enough time to react. The sound of the leather glove hitting her wet face echoed around the room.

"Don't ignore me you little bitch." Hissed the voice of the hands owner.

"You.. leave her… alone.. Lucius." Neville's voice came from beside Hermione. Her head quickly turned in the direction of the voice but she couldn't see anything. Her heart sank at the thought of Neville being caught, and he sounded like he was in pain. Her eyes searched the room in what she thought was his direction but it just made her head dizzy. The pain of what was obviously Lucius' slap made the ringing her ears even worse than before and her vision once again blurry. She wanted her eyes to adjust to the darkness of the room so she could see her friend, but before they did the gloved hand had grabbed Hermione's face and pulled it to look in front of her again.

She was met by piercing blue eyes. Lucius looked as he did the first time Hermione had met him in Flourish and Blotts. He no longer looked like the withdrawn, ageing, defeated old man he had been during the Battle of Hogwarts five months ago. He had the same crazed look in his eyes that Draco had in the forest when he had captured her.

He leaned in close to her face. "Tell me where he is, and I might just let you live."

She struggled to release her face from his tight grip but did not succeed, and baring her teeth she hissed. "Fuck you. I would rather die!"

"Tsk, tsk. Is that really any way to be talking to your new Lord?" Draco's voice slithered from behind Lucius, whose eyes were now twisted and menacing.

"Fuck you too, ferret." The words barely scraped out of her throat, it felt like she had swallowed glass.

Lucius threw her face out of his grip and pulled out his wand and pointed it square at her chest. " _Crucio!_ "

Hermione felt like she was being stabbed all over her body by a thousand rusty knives. She had experienced this pain before at Malfoy Manor when Bellatrix had tortured her for information, shortly before she carved the word 'Mudblood' into her arm. She didn't allow herself to scream; she bit into her lip and hung her head to the ground. Her knees ached too from the hard wet floor she'd been kneeling on for what felt like hours now.

He lifted the curse and she took a deep breath. _"Cruuucio"_ She heard again, the anger in Lucius' voice was clear as another bolt of red light hit her, the pain was worse this time than the first curse. Hermione fell onto her side. The taste of copper filled her mouth. She could hear now screams echoing around the room, they could have been hers, she didn't know anymore. Menacing laughter bounced off the walls of her mind. Finally, the curse had ended. Hermione lay lifeless on the floor for a few moments before she was dragged to her knees again.

She could hear a sobbing girl to her left and Neville cursing loudly to her right. She didn't bother trying to look. She looked directly into Lucius' face. He wore a satisfied smirk. She quickly flicked her gaze toward Draco standing behind him. He was looking at her; his face was empty of any kind of emotion. He must have seen this kind of thing happen a million times before, she thought. He didn't seem to have enjoyed it like the other death eaters around her clearly had. They were laughing amongst themselves quietly. Draco didn't seem to have disliked it either, just _nothing._

"Are you ready to talk yet, my dear?" Lucius said kindly, all of the anger and frustration in his voice only moments before had melted away. Even the soft way he spoke made Hermione's head throb as the noise intruded into her ears.

She just looked into his eyes, trying to burn into them with her own. After a few moments he closed his eyes and rubbed his temples with his forefinger and his thumb. With a breath he pointed his wand in Hermione's direction again.

Hermione heard a shrill scream from her left side. "NOO! Please Mr Malfoy, I'm begging you please stop!" She recognised the sound of her best friend's voice beside her immediately and she was sure she felt her heart break slightly. Ginny hadn't made it out of the forest either.

Lucius lowered his wand and cocked his head slightly to the side, as if he could hear soft music playing in the distance. His smirk crawled onto his face once more. "I think we need some light in here." And with that the room was filled with light. It hurt Hermione's eyes as she frantically darted them around the room trying to adjust.

Lucius caught her attention again when he slowly started walking over to her friend. "I don't know why you're getting so upset about this Miss Weasley." Lucius said kindly as he strolled elegantly towards her.

"Stay away from her!" Hermione barked. Her eyes were solid and looked murderous as she glared at him.

Lucius stopped and shot his stare to meet Hermione's. "Your little Mudblood friend here is very protective of you, Miss Weasley." He said to Ginny has he stared into Hermione's eyes. "I wonder if she would be as protective if she knew it's _your_ fault she's here." He never looked away from Hermione as he spoke.

"No… please." Ginny whispered as tears filled her eyes.

"She betrayed you, Mudblood."

Hermione's eyes snapped to meet Ginny's, the murderous look still glazed over them.

"I-I'm so s-sorry." Ginny said as she started to almost silently sob.

Hermione looked back to Lucius; he was curiously inspecting her, clearly waiting for a reaction. That's why he had been sure to look her right in the eyes as he told her; he wanted to see her hurt. She didn't know if he had noticed the rush of sadness flow through entire her body. She swallowed to keep down the bile that was gradually forcing its way up her throat. She wasn't going to give them the reaction they wanted. She just continued to stare at Lucius, emotionless. She reminded herself again that emotion was nothing but weakness.

Ginny had given away their location, she must have taken the portkey and she clearly goaded them to leave the safety of the hut. Hermione tried to push the offensive thoughts away as they picked at her brain. Her best friend, her cousin had betrayed them all.

"Ah, such fun." Giggled Lucius playfully. "I think that's enough excitement for one day don't you?"

"Hermione, I'm sorry." Ginny said quietly, but Hermione didn't care to hear it.

"Can someone please escort Miss Weasley back to her room?" He looked at the group of spectating death eaters and gestured his arm towards Ginny. "Please ensure she has what she needs and doesn't leave. She's been a _very_ good girl."

"Hermione please, they have my parents!" Ginny shouted as a hooded man unchained her ankles and hoisted her to her feet.

Hermione winced at the idea of Lucius having Molly and Arthur held captive but she didn't react. That was no excuse. She just stared at Ginny with hatred as she was led from the room and with a flick of her lovely red hair she was gone, along with their friendship.


	6. Chapter 6

Harry sat upright in his bed in Shell Cottage. He was staring at the wall of what was currently his room. His eyes were glazed over and his mouth was slightly ajar.

"Come on mate, you've been sitting there for about eight hours now. Luna's made some food you should really come down and try some. You'll feel better." Ron said as he sat on the edge of what used to be Bills bed.

"Food will not make me feel better." He said dryly. "We need to leave. It's not safe here." His gaze never left the wall in front of him.

"Harry, we can't leave yet, what if some of the others make it back? We need to be here when they do."

Harry didn't speak. He looked like a zombie, Ron thought.

"We're still waiting for Hermione, Ginny, Dean, and Neville. Seamus is still unconscious at the moment but Luna's looking after him well." Ron said as optimistically as he could manage.

"So we're missing half of our group, and one of the four people who managed to escape is currently unconscious? Great, thanks for the update, Ron." Harry mocked the optimistic tone Ron had previously used.

Ron sighed. "Didn't you say that one person getting out alive was better than none? Four people survived that raid, and the other four could turn up any second."

"They're gone, Ron. You know it as well as I do."

"You don't know that." Ron said dismissively.

"Yes I do, Ron! They would be here by now. They've been captured, or killed, and we just let it happen. We should have gone in pairs. I'm so stupid." Harry put his head in his hands.

"Harry, we can't afford to think that way."

"It's the truth. They're probably being tortured as we speak." Harry had started to knock his head against his hands.

His Hermione being tortured, the thought ached in his mind. His chest was tight with pain as he thought of all the things he could have done differently to save her. He should never have asked for that stupid newspaper for a start. Then he had lost the portkey. Then there was his stupid escape plan, stupid, stupid, stupid. He cursed himself.

His thoughts turned to Ginny, his poor, lovely Ginny. Guilt washed over his whole body. Ginny had been an afterthought. He didn't deserve her, or Hermione.

"If they have been captured we'll just have to go and rescue them wont we? It wouldn't be the first time ahy?" Ron nudged Harry playfully as he spoke.

Harry looked up to Ron, eyes narrowed. "We don't even know who might have taken them, Ron. How could we even hope to find where they've been taken? If they're not dead already." He hissed.

Harry saw Ron flinch slightly at the word 'dead'. Hurt filled his crisp blue eyes. Harry didn't care. It was hopeless.

"Harry! Ron! Get down here right now please!" Luna's dreamy voice sounded urgent as it drifted up the stairs and into their ears.

They could hear struggling from downstairs and jumped up immediately, wands at the ready. They ran down the steep stairs and saw Luna trying to hoist Dean off the floor by the front door. He was covered in blood but didn't seem injured himself. He walked across the room on unsteady legs. He collapsed onto the floor in front of the sofa and leant up against it, rubbing his neck.

"What's happened Dean? Harry asked. "Where are the others?"

"I don't know Harry, I'm sorry." He said tiredly.

"What happened to you, mate? You're a right state." Harry gestured to the blood covering Dean's once white jumper.

"When I was running, I was grabbed by a death eater. I didn't think, I just slit his throat with the knife I'd grabbed from the kitchen. There was a lot of undergrowth around me so I thought it would be a good idea to just hide. I got underneath the death eaters dead body and just waited it out."

Harry and Ron nodded along with Dean's story. Luna looked positively horrified.

"I waited until the noises stopped before I come out of hiding. It seemed to last for hours. I thought for sure I would be found, but luckily for me no one seemed to care about the death of the man I was hiding under. They just left him there." Dean stopped for a moment and sipped the water Luna had just fetched for him. She had obviously heard enough of his gruesome tale. "I saw Ginny being led out of the woods by that Lucius Malfoy, she had her hands tied behind her back but that's all I could make out."

Harry's heart sank. When Dean had emerged he had managed to find hope that the others might actually turn up. Now he knew for sure that Ginny had been taken. That bastard Lucius, Harry thought. Ginny was his girlfriend he was supposed to protect her and now she was gone. It was entirely his fault.

"What about Hermione?" Harry said as his mind snapped back into reality. "And-and Neville?" He finished as he noticed his friends looking at him curiously.

Dean shook his head sadly. "I didn't see either of them after we left the shack." He looked at Harry apologetically.

"Harry they could still turn up, knowing Hermione she probably has some more information too. We could use it to find Ginny. There's a strong chance she could be at Malfoy Manor by what Dean said."

Harry absently nodded although he wasn't listening to Ron.

"We have a vanishing cabinet in the cellar. We will wait for the others to return and should we get any unwanted visitors we will escape through there. The other is inside an abandoned muggle flat somewhere in South London I believe. That will be the next place we can hide too, but for now, we wait. Agreed?"

Luna and Dean nodded. Harry just stared into the air in front of him.

"Right you three; you must try my seaweed soup. My father used to think it was delightful and it will fill us with the all the goodness we need." Luna said as she walked away from them.

Ron had almost fallen over as he scurried into the kitchen licking his lips. The thought of food didn't appeal to Harry, although he couldn't remember the last time he had eaten, or slept. Pain was the only thing he knew now.

* * *

Hermione wanted so badly to take the weight off her knees. The floor felt as though it was single handily trying to break them. She was shivering as her freezing cold wet clothes clung to her skin and pain rocked every inch of her body.

She glanced over towards Neville, he was unconscious. When did that happen? She thought. The last thing she knew he was calling Lucius all the names under the sun. He must have been knocked out.

"Father, what shall we do with the prisoners?" Draco asked Lucius.

"I can get Potter's location from the Weasley girl. Kill them." He said dismissively.

"Father, forgive me, If I may.." Lucius glared at Draco, but gestured for him to continue. "I think killing the prisoners would be, somewhat counterproductive. They could be used as hostages to lure Potter out of hiding, he would give his life in return for theirs, and then we can kill them."

Lucius considered Draco's words for a moment and then his mouth twisted into a smirk. "That's my boy." He placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm grateful you are the heir to the dark empire, Draco. One day you will make us all very proud, my son."

For the first time that day Hermione saw emotion on Draco's face, happiness. Who would've thought it?

"I've been training all my life for it father, I'd like to think I know a thing or two by now." He gloated like a happy little child.

"How touching." Hermione leered sarcastically. She hadn't even meant to, it just come flying out of her mouth. She didn't regret it; she didn't care what they did to her.

"Watch your mouth, girl. I might just reconsider." Lucius spat.

"Do it." Hermione shrugged. "Just kill me and get it over with." She surprised herself with how ready she was for death. It had to be better than the alternative.

"Ah, such a big attitude for such a little Mudblood." He looked at Draco and raised his eyebrows.

"Don't worry father, I'll make sure she falls into line." He said as he looked at Hermione with his father's smirk plastered across his own face. "I'll have her bowing at your feet before you know it." He sniggered.

"Good, Draco. Would you do the honours of re-locating our little friends here?"

Draco nodded, and walked towards Hermione. He cast a binding charm on her hands and they were quickly fastened behind her back. He then cast a non-verbal spell that released the chains from around her ankles. She tried to make a run for it as soon as her legs were free but she was quickly pulled into Draco's firm grip. He stood behind her with one hand clasped about her throat and the other wrapped around her waist. She tried to kick herself away from him but soon gave up against his surprising strength.

"I suggest you settle down Granger, or your little friend over here will spend the night being tortured." He gestured towards Neville's still unconscious form as a death eater yanked him up off the floor.

She nodded in defeat. He loosened his grip around her throat and suddenly someone was wrapping what felt like a blindfold around her head. She started to struggle again in protest and Draco once again tightened his grip.

"Settle down." He hissed into her ear as he led her forward. "We can't have you knowing your way around can we, Granger?"

They walked for about five minutes. Hermione's legs struggled to carry her and she would fall every so often. Draco would catch her which she was kind of thankful for, with her hands being bound behind her back she would probably have no teeth left by time they reached their destination.

He didn't speak to her for the entire journey which she was thankful for too.

They come to a standstill and she heard the sound of metal clanging around before she was shoved forward. The blindfold was removed and she was stood in a room even smaller than her one back at the old shack in the forest. It was colder too which surprised her slightly.

"Welcome to the dungeons." Draco said lazily. "If you behave yourself you might just find your living conditions improve slightly. Your little Weasley friend can tell you that."

"She isn't my friend, Malfoy" She snapped. "And for the record, I will _never_ stoop as low as she has."

"You don't know what you'll do out of desperation, Granger. I guess we will find out soon enough." He smirked and turned on his heel to exit.

"You don't know anything about me Malfoy." She hissed.

"Incorrect, Granger." He turned back to face her and stared into her eyes. "I know you love your friends more than you value your life."

She didn't respond she just stared back.

"You really do give too much away. I thought you were smarter than that." He smirked.

"Someday soon, Malfoy, I'm going to wipe that ugly little smirk right off your stupid little face." She seethed through her gritted teeth.

Before she knew what was happening his hand was wrapped around the hair at the back of her head and he yanked her roughly towards him. "I will send you back to your snotty little boyfriend piece by piece if you don't learn how to act around your superiors, Granger." He hissed into her ear. She closed her eyes so he couldn't see the pain he was causing her. "Sure, it would be bloody but I could deal with it." He shrugged and threw her to the side as he released his grip on her hair. She hit the floor hard which sent a dull ache through her entire body.

He looked at her for a moment in disgust and then turned away and left the cell slamming the door behind him. She lay on the cold stone floor for a few minutes; once she was sure she was alone she allowed her sobs to flow through her entirety. How did she end up in this mess? What would she do? How could she get out of this horrid place alive? The thoughts violently shook her mind. She was the brightest witch of her age; she couldn't allow this to be the end. She needed to figure out a way to escape.

"You seem to have some heated history with the young Malfoy Lord, my dear." She heard the kind masculine voice bounce off the walls of the cell quietly. Was she going mad? She could have sworn she was alone. "Do you know each other?"

Hermione shot upright and faced in the direction on the voice. There stood a middle-aged man; he was fidgeting with his fingers as he looked down at them nervously. His hair was dark but greying in places. His face had dried blood and bruises here and there; he was also badly scarred she could see. Other than that his face was plain tired. His clothes were clean other than the odd spot of blood but were tatty and ripped.

"You could say that." She responded simply.

"I'm sorry if I frightened you, Miss." He said with a slight bow of his head, still looking down at his fidgety fingers.

"It's okay; I just didn't think there was anyone else in here."

"I'm sorry, Miss. I've learned to stay out of sight if any of the Malfoys come in here."

"I'm sorry you're in this situation, Sir." She said.

"Oh, call me Cecil. It's not all that bad, there are many others worse off than I." He said.

"What do you mean…Cecil? Hermione asked softly, the man before her seemed very fragile and she was worried for him.

"Well as you know the powerful pureblood families of the country have taken over everything. They use muggle-born folk as slaves, and those are the lucky ones." Cecil looked deeply sad as explained.

"No, Cecil I don't know, I've been in hiding for the past four months. I haven't heard anything." She looked at him, he was still looking at his fingers but his eyebrows were now raised.

"It's been going on for much longer than four months, Miss."

Hermione thought about it for a moment. "Annnnd, maybe for about a year before the Battle of Hogwarts." She added.

Cecil nodded. "An awful lot has changed, dear."

There was silence for a moment.

"So, I'm very curious. Forgive me if you think me prying." He spoke cautiously. "How do you know the young Malfoy?"

"He was in my year at school." She remembered how he had been in school, she thought he was a vile human back then, but he was a saint compared to how he is now.

"That would explain why he was so gentle with you then." He said with understanding.

Hermione scoffed. "You call that gentle?!"

He nodded. "The first night I was brought here he did this to me for looking him in the eyes." He pointed to a long scar that ran down the length of his face, from his temple to his jawline. "I hadn't even spoken to him yet."

Hermione was horrified, simply horrified. She gasped and brought her hand to her mouth in shock. Who could do such an inhumane thing to another person for no reason what's so ever? She had underestimated Draco severely. She actually considered herself lucky at this point that she hadn't suffered more at the hands of him and his psychopathic father.

"I'm so, so sorry Cecil. It must have been horrible."

He nodded. "Yes, it was very uncomfortable for me. I'm just lucky to be alive. Each and every day is a blessing. Life is what you make it." He smiled for the first time since Hermione had laid eyes on him.

She admired his positive attitude. How on earth could he think that way knowing what the world has become? What he's been though? How could he see a day like today as a blessing? They were in their own personal hell and he was.. happy about it?

"How long have you been down here, Cecil?"

"Oh, I'd say about seven months now. It's hard to keep track of time though."

"What do you do here?" She asked.

"Oh, not much really. Occasionally I will be let out into the Manor to build some furniture, or decorate some rooms. It makes me very happy. I used to be very skilled in that area. Wizards and Witches from across the country would pay a lot of money for my services. I do find it difficult now without my wand though." He shrugged like it was nothing. "I'm getting old too; these hands aren't what they used to be." He added, still fidgeting away nervously.

"You've been out into the Manor? She asked with wide eyes. "Is there a way to escape?"

"No. Many have tried and have died as a result. It seems impossible."

"I bet it's not. I'll find a way. I have too." She said with a determined look in her eyes.

Cecil looked up from his hands for the first time and looked directly into Hermione's big brown orbs. "The Malfoys are very, very dangerous. I don't want to see you get hurt. Please, please don't underestimate them, Miss."

His face seemed dead but his big green eyes were full of life and hope. They reminded her of how Harry's used to be.

She considered what he had said for a moment and then nodded. "Please, call me Hermione." She said with a small smile.


	7. Chapter 7

Ginny sat uncomfortably on the bed of her room; she saw it more like a cage. Yes she had been upgraded when she'd been 'good'. The room was still small, plain and most of the time cold. She had been given a few minor luxuries such as blankets, a warm fire occasionally and better food. She also had access to the servant's bathroom whenever she needed to use it, but she was still a prisoner, no more, no less.

A _traitor_ , she thought bitterly.

She tried not to think about it, not to think about her parents being tortured the way her best friend had been only an hour ago, because of her.

She pushed back the memory of the way Hermione had looked at her when she'd found out. She knew at that moment that she was dead to her. The only real friend she had ever had hated her.

She thought of Harry too, the fact that he was still out there was the only thing that got her through the days. She was so happy he had gotten away despite her setting him up. He would _always_ get away, she thought. He would win eventually and then they could all be happy.

She was so torn. She loved her parents to no end and Lucius was going to kill them if she didn't help him kill the man she loves. The only hope she had was Harry surviving everything they threw at him. Even with her helping Lucius, Harry would win. He had defeated the greatest dark wizard of all time! Lucius would be a walk in the park! She reassured herself. He just needs to get his head together.

The door of her room clicked open and in stepped Draco Malfoy. He was definitely not who she wanted to see right now.

She stood and faced him but didn't look at his face, and with a small bow she sat back down on her bed and stared into the distance, her eyes swollen and red from crying so hard.

"Good job today, Weasley." He said coldly as he closed the door behind him.

"Your father doesn't think so." She said plainly.

" _You_ will address him as 'My Lord', will you never learn?"

She took a breath. " _My Lord_ doesn't think so." She said just as plainly but emphasised the change she had made to her statement.

"He only has Potter in mind. Even though it's not as good as it could be, I am actually quite pleased with the result." He walked over to her small barred window on the other side of the room behind her. "We have the brains of the Golden Trio. I'd consider that a success, given the fact that the other two buffoons would have perished years ago had it not been for her." He said as he stared out of the window inspecting the courtyard. It was raining, again.

"You won't have her for long." Ginny's voice was flat. She could feel Malfoys eyes now burning into the back of her head.

"What makes you so sure of that?" He asked and she could hear him talking painfully slow steps towards her.

"Harry will come to rescue us, you'll see." She said as she tried to keep her voice as straight and composed as possible.

"Oh, I'm counting on it." He stated coldly.

He was now standing in front of her. "But, my father wishes for him to die before he even tries." He said with a shrug. "You're going to help us."

"Please, I-I can't do this a-anymore." She said breathlessly.

"You know the rules. You help get Potter and in return we let you and your family live. I shouldn't have to remind you what's at stake here." He hissed impatiently.

She closed her eyes and nodded apprehensively.

"The spies are at the location you have given us already. If Potter is there we need you to lure him out into the open. As the cottage is on a beach you should have no trouble. Then he will be faced by my father, and my father will kill him once and for all." He looked at her intensly waiting for an answer. She just started crying again. How he hated the sound of her muffled sobs. He could just suffocate her right now and be done with it. "Well?"

"Okay." She said reluctantly, it was barely a whisper.

He turned to leave, and that's when Ginny found her voice. "Even if Lucius does manage to kill Harry we will still defeat him, and you! We have everything you will never have. We are united! Together, you _can't_ beat us." He turned around and she was staring directly into his eyes for the first time that evening.

His eyes were twisted with anger and she instantly regretted what she'd said. She had gotten so angry it had just erupted out of her like hot lava. She looked away quickly as his gaze burned into hers.

"Oh, is that so?" His voice was surprisingly calm and did not reflect the look in his eyes. He was a handsome man, but his eyes, one minute they could be hypnotising and the next completely unnerving. He could break you with a single look if nothing else. Ginny knew by the look in his eyes tonight that she had gone too far, she would not be fooled by his calm voice.

He grabbed her arm roughly and pulled her up. "I've spoken with Hermione; she said you're no friend of hers." He spat. "I'm glad she's finally come to her senses. She could always do far better than you."

"You're lying" She muttered, her voice was shaking uncontrollably .

"Are you accusing the Dark Lords son of being a liar?" He raised his eyebrows for a response.

"S-she wouldn't say that to you."

"Oh I think you'll find she did. She also said she would never stoop as low as you have. Honestly, she looked disgusted and had such venom in her voice. In fact, I'd go as far as saying she actually hates _you_ more than she hates me. That's quite an accomplishment." He paused and then smirked. "She is going to stay here for the rest of her life Weasley mark my words. Soon, she won't leave even if she could."

"You're lying!" She screamed.

He pulled out his wand and pointed it straight at Ginny, his eyes were still dark with anger. Ginny was frightened. She knew that she'd gone too far and she wished she had just kept her mouth shut from the beginning. She knew that when Malfoy lost his temper there was no telling what he would do and he was ruthless. He was a vicious death eater and heir to everything dark.

She fell to her knees in front of him. "I'm deeply sorry for the things I said, please forgive me." She pleaded, she'd learned to let go of her pride months ago. He didn't lower his wand; he just pointed it straight to Ginny's head.

"You called me a liar Weasley, I don't think I can forgive you that easily." He pressed the tip of his wand into Ginny's forehead. "Crotaphos" He said and the tip of his wand glowed deep purple for a few moments and then the light faded.

As the light went out Ginny was struck by the severe pain of the spell. She felt like she had a giant weight crushing her head and every so often it would feel like sharp pokers were being stabbed through her eyes. She clutched her head with her hands which made her look as though she was trying to block out a horrible noise.

Malfoy kept his wand pointed at her head and looked at her, his eyes now filled with curiosity. "How do you like my curse Weasley? I've been working on this particular one for quite some time now. It's quite impressive, if I do say so myself." He said smugly, his face filled with complete satisfaction.

She didn't answer him, she was too busy trying to stop the pain he was inflicting on her. She just needed it to stop, it was excruciating.

Ginny bit though the pain after a few minutes of agonising torture. "Hermione wouldn't say those things about me. I'm her fami-, best friend. We will always stick together, and that's what makes us stronger than you'll ever be!"

Damn her Gryffindor bravery. The curse intensified with Malfoys anger and Ginny began to scream.

"You're not a liar!" She'd had enough, she couldn't take it anymore. It felt like her head would literally crack open under the pressure and she wasn't sure that it wouldn't. After all she had just been told it was an experimental piece of dark magic. "Please, I know you're not a liar."

The curse stopped. She felt a sea of calm wash over her but it was quickly shattered when she was dragged to her feet effortlessly by Malfoy and was met with a furious glare.

He started to drag her towards the door.

"Where are you taking me?" She screamed as she tugged against him in the opposite direction to the door.

"To see if you've leaned your lesson." He said plainly as he gave her a hard yank out of the room.

* * *

Hermione sat with Cecil for about half an hour on the cold stone floor of their dimly lit cell. They had spoken about how she had been captured, about Ginny betraying her, about her being Harry Potter's sidekick, which he was very impressed by. He'd told her that he was very impartial to the war and chose not to take sides, although he admired Hermione's bravery and couldn't wait to hear about some of her adventures.

Hermione cringed at the thought. _Adventure_ he called it! When all it did was get her locked up in the dungeons of Malfoy Manor to be used as a hostage to bring down what was left of the good side of magic.

"So Hermione, am I right in thinking you are muggle-born?" He asked with a kind smile.

Hermione didn't know how to answer the question. She knew her real heritage now but she couldn't let herself admit it. She reached up and touched the necklace around her neck; it felt warm underneath her cold fingertips.

She took a deep breath. "Yes Cecil, my parents are muggles." And with that, the necklace seemed to grow cold and she snapped her fingers away. "How about you?" She asked as she shifted uncomfortably.

"Yes I am. Although it has brought me many challenges in life, I wouldn't have it any other way."

They heard the sound of a heavy metal door open in the distance and then slam shut. Cecil scurried away and hid in a dark corner of the cell.

The door to their cell then swung open and in the doorway stood a tall hooded man. He pulled a small, almost naked woman from behind him and flung her onto the hard stone floor. She quickly scurried away into the corner Cecil had disappeared to. She didn't even seem to notice Hermione who was now standing in the middle of the cell.

"Until next time my little butterfly." He said in a gruff voice and turned to leave, but before he did Hermione caught his eye. "Well, well, well. What do we have here?" He walked over to stand in front of her and lowered his hood. It was the Death Eater from the forest who had captured her with Malfoy. "I'm so very glad they've decided to keep you." He said as his mouth twisted into a perverted grin that made Hermione's stomach turn.

She didn't respond she just looked into his eyes defiantly.

"We're going to have a lot of fun, you and me." He reached up to tuck a curl behind her ear but she grabbed his hand and sunk her teeth into it like a rabid animal.

He jerked his hand from beneath her teeth sharply and hissed in pain.

"That's what will happen to that dirty little thing between your legs if it comes anywhere near me." She spat, staring into his face with anger.

He burst into a fit of manic laughter. "I like it rough!" He said with one last chuckle and then raised his eyebrows playfully at her before he turned and left the room.

Hermione was disgusted, she tasted the foul Death Eater's blood in her mouth and it made her want to throw up. She certainly didn't want any other part of him inside any part of her, even near her. She was livid with anger. She needed to get the hell out of here.

Cecil had come out of the corner; he had a worried look in his normally carefree eyes. "Hermione we need to help her, I think she's having a panic attack." The calmness in his voice didn't reflect the concern in his eyes. He then turned back to the corner the girl had retreated to.

Hermione could hear fast ragged breaths coming from the girl as she approached her. She sounded like she was struggling for air.

Cecil was now sitting on the floor with the girls head rested on his lap; he was stroking her head and whispering calming words.

The girl on the floor looked as though she was once very beautiful, she was in her mid-twenties Hermione thought. She had dark circles underneath her dark blue eyes and dried blood around her perfect lips. Her long blonde hair was messy and dirty. She had next to nothing on to keep her warm in this horrible cell, just a pair of short shorts and a thin vest which was ripped in places.

Upon seeing her Hermione quickly unzipped her hoodie and draped it over the poor shivering, breathless woman, even though it was still damp from Lucius' spell earlier that day it still seemed to warm the woman up slightly.

Hermione rushed off to look around the cell for something to help; she came across a pail of murky water with a rusty old goblet next to it.

"Cecil, is this water clean?"

"Well I wouldn't say that, but yes it is drinking water if that's what you mean." He said half-jokingly. Hermione was amazed how calm and collected he always was no matter what they were talking about or what was happening.

She grabbed the old goblet and plunged it into the misty water; she pulled it back out and walked the dripping drink over to the distressed girl.

"Do you know her name?" she asked as she crouched down beside her.

"Yes, it's Chinzia Hadaway."

"Here, Chinzia." She said as she moved the goblet into shaking girl's direction. "It will help you to feel better." Hermione said as she looked into her broken eyes, so deep with colour but so lifeless and dim.

"Th-thank you" Chinza said in a cracked voice as she pulled out a shaky, skinny arm and took the drink from Hermione's hand.

She seemed to calm down quickly after she had warmed up and realized that she was temporarily out of danger. "I'm alright now." She said as she hoisted herself up and brought her hand to her head to steady her spinning vision.

Hermione fell into a seated position and crossed her legs and the three of them sat in a circle close to the corner of the room. Cecil and Chinzia had their backs against the walls. They looked exhausted.

"What happened to you?" Hermione asked softly as she leant forward towards Chinzia.

"Nothing new that's for sure." She said with a shrug. "Looks like it will be happening a lot less now you're here though. You were stupid for what you did just now, you could have got us all killed." Chinzia said as she looked venomously into Hermione's eyes.

"Well I will never back down." Hermione said confidently.

"Then you will die." Chinzia's eyes burned deeply into Hermione's. "I for one won't be sorry for the loss the way you've been acting, you fool."

Hermione narrowed her eyes. "So you just expect me to sit there and take it? That seems to be your approach and look at the state of you!" Hermione spat.

"Now, please ladies I really don't like this negativity." Cecil pleaded with the two clearly hurt women. "We have enough enemies; we really don't need to fight amongst ourselves."

Hermione looked into Cecil's now sad eyes, and she nodded her head. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay Chinzia, I'm very sorry if I've upset you."

"Hmm, likewise" Chinza shrugged and gave Hermione her jacket back. "I'm used to the cold."

Just then, the dimly lit cell was filled with light from a very small barred window. The window was so tiny and so close to the ceiling Hermione hadn't even noticed it until now.

"Cecil, will you help me get up there to see what's going on?" Hermione asked as she sprung to her feet.

Cecil moved over to the window, bent over slightly and put his hands into a cradle-like position. "If it will make you happy" He said and smiled.

"She won't see anything new Cecil, just a bunch of death eaters enjoying life no doubt." Chinzia said disinterested and bitterly.

Hermione rushed over and placed her foot into Cecil's cradled hands and he awkwardly hoisted her up to the window as he complained "I told you these old hands aren't what they used to be." He said as he struggled. "A few years ago I'd have lifted you up no problem at all."

Hermione grabbed the edge of the window ledge to steady her and lifted herself slightly so she could see.

She looked out across a huge courtyard; she couldn't see much due to the rain, but from what she could tell the gravel floor of the majestic courtyard was only inches away from the window.

So the dungeons were partially underground? She thought as she added the information to the 'escape plan scrapbook' in her mind.

Suddenly she saw two figures emerge from the building, she saw heads of glowing red and platinum blonde move across the courtyard. She knew who they were instantly. She heard Malfoy shout something that she couldn't make out as he threw Ginny through the heavy rain onto the wet gravel floor.

A loud crack echoed around the cell and Hermione and Cecil fell to the ground with a thud.

Hermione looked up to see an old house elf standing before her with its wrinkly hand stretched out towards her.

"You have been summoned. Come with me." The elf demanded.

Hermione shook her head in resistance.

"Come with me now, or master said he would severely punish those you love for your disobedience." The house elf hissed.

Hermione knew that particular threat had only come from Draco Malfoy, and from what she had heard tonight she was sure it wouldn't be an empty one.

She reluctantly reached out her hand to touch the shrivelled elf but it stopped her. "You too, old man" Said the elf and reached out its other hand towards Cecil.

Cecil, unlike Hermione didn't need to be asked twice. He immediately crawled over and put his hand into the elves and with another crack they were gone.

* * *

Draco dragged Ginny though the long hallways of the manor kicking and screaming. He loathed the sound of her high pitched squeals and sobs. He abruptly stopped and swung around to look into her eyes. She fell silent as his eyes pierced through her. "Listen to me you little weasel, if you don't shut up with the insufferable screaming I will curse you again, Are we clear?" He growled.

"Where are you taking me?" She asked quietly but he just turned away and continued to lead her down the extravagant hallway. This time she complied.

They reached a set of large double doors and Draco stopped. "Trixie?" He called out and a house elf appeared with a pop and a bowed head at Draco's feet.

"How can I serve you, Master?" The elf asked softly.

"Fetch me the Granger girl and the old carpenter from the Mudblood cell. If the girl refuses, which she probably will, tell her if she doesn't come, her loved ones will suffer as a consequence." He demanded and the house elf disappeared with a nod of her head.

Draco opened the double doors and raised his wand. "Lumos Maxima" he shouted and a bright ball of light exploded out of the tip of his wand into the sky and the shone brightly over the courtyard.

"What are you going to do Malfoy? Why have you sent for Hermione?" Ginny was now squirming around again and she had that terribly annoying tone in her voice.

He didn't respond he just dragged her through the doors and out into the rain which soaked them through immediately and marched her over to the middle of the courtyard.

"Come out everyone!" he shouted loudly as he threw Ginny to the ground. "Come and see the Gryffindor _traitor_." His voice echoed around the courtyard as he looked at Ginny staring up at him, pleading for him to stop.

People started to slowly emerge from the buildings that surrounded them, servants, Death Eaters, house-elves and a few tarty looking women in party-wear. The Malfoy's were obviously throwing some kind of victory party judging by the amount of people now present.

"This is the little princess that betrayed The Order of the Phoenix, everyone she loves and everything she ever claimed to stand for. Isn't that just _despicable_?" He asked the building crowd of people who all laughed and agreed or spat on the floor spitefully.

There was a loud crack and Draco lifted his head to look into the direction of the sound. He looked through the rain and saw Hermione looking back at him with hate in her eyes. "Ah just the person!" He said happily gesturing at Hermione. "Would you consider Weasley here a friend of yours, Granger?"

Hermione didn't answer she just continued to glare at him, she was well aware that they had an audience and didn't want to aggravate him in front of his peers, his reaction would surely be worse now than if he was alone.

"Hmm, gone quiet all of a sudden Granger?" He asked playfully. "Old man!" he shouted and looked to Cecil. "Did she or did she not say earlier today that this Weasley girl was no friend of hers?"

"Yes, Master, she did." Cecil responded solemnly.

The crowd of onlookers laughed at the response and Draco grinned. "See, you don't have anyone anymore. You're _worthless_." He hissed and then laughed.

"No" Ginny whispered as she once again began to cry.

Hermione hated Ginny at the moment but couldn't stand to see her cousin being humiliated like this. "She will always be my friend." Hermione said so quietly Draco barely heard her.

He snapped out of his laughter and glared at Hermione. "Excuse me? She betrayed you and you're still her friend?" He said with almost a shocked look on his face. "And I thought you were the smart one!" He said and the crowd laughed again. He took a few steps towards Hermione. "What if you knew the whole truth Granger? Still think you'd feel the same way?" He asked quite sweetly, bits of his wet blonde hair falling to rest just above his eyes as the rain poured down his face. She just ignored him again.

He turned and made his way back to Ginny. "You set your brother up with that horrible Lavender girl didn't you Weasley? Because you didn't want him to end up with someone like her?" He asked viciously as he pointed in Hermione's direction. "Go on… Call me a lair." He offered to Ginny in a smooth menacing voice. She knew that after how he'd reacted the last time she'd called him a liar that if she said it again she would probably be killed.

Hermione looked at Ginny, not even wanting her to answer but expecting the worst.

Ginny could hear the threat in his voice and knew she had to tell the truth. "I can't." She whispered.

"I'm sorry? I didn't quite catch that. Do you want to say it so the whole class can hear?" Draco shouted and the crowed laughed and jeered.

"I can't call you a liar!" She exclaimed hysterically.

"So you admit it?" He asked just to be clear.

She nodded and looked to the ground, her wet red hair falling in front of her face.

Hermione's heart sank again. How could someone she loves hurt her this much?

"I can see by the look on your face Granger that you are displeased with this news." Draco had a satisfied look on his face and wore an arrogant grin. He looked to face Ginny again. "Did you, or did you not also try to turn Harry against her? You wanted her out of the picture, because of your petty jealousy, is that correct?" He asked like he was a judge and she was on trial.

She looked up into his eyes and nodded. "Yes, that is correct." She hissed. Ginny didn't even look in Hermione's direction. It was like she was pretending she wasn't standing there at all.

The crowd gasped in mocking horror and then laughed.

Hermione felt like a fool, it was now her being humiliated because of the things she had let Ginny do to her. She didn't even know why she cared what these people thought of her but she did, she didn't want anyone to think she was weak.

Draco watched the masterpiece that was Hermione's heart breaking through her big, glassy caramel eyes. He had something to use against her and he loved it. He looked around at the eager eyes of the crowd looming around him waiting for his next move; they were now shadowed by big black floating umbrellas. He then looked to Ginny again who was still slumped on the ground, soaking wet as the rain pelted down on her.

"Is it true, that you secretly told Kingsley Shacklebolt that you thought Hermione Granger was a spy working for Lord Voldemort in an attempt to get her kicked out of the Order of the Phoenix? He asked slowly.

The crowd was actually silent. The only sound was the rain hitting the ground and gushing out of drain pipes around the Manor.

Ginny didn't answer; she knew that this would be the thing that hurt Hermione the most. She knew Hermione would have died for the Order and anyone in it. Ginny knew Hermione was the brightest of their age and one of the Orders greatest assets, and she hated it. She hated never being good enough, she hated always being in Hermione's shadow no matter what she did. She hated the way Harry looked at her.

She looked at Hermione for the first time, the rain was soaking her through, but she still looked beautiful, even after everything she had been though. Ginny was bitter with the thought. She was standing frozen with her fists clenched, her mouth was pressed tightly closed and her eyes seemed to stare through Ginny rather than at her. Ginny stared into her eyes and slowly nodded her head.

Just as she did Hermione snapped out of her sad daze and launched towards Ginny, when she reached her she swung Ginny around onto her back and punched her hard in the face. Ginny hit the back of her head on the gravel floor as the impact from Hermione's punch forced her head into the ground, she felt something warm sliding down the back of her head mixed in the cold rain.

Hermione was quickly grabbed and pulled away by Cecil who had dived in to diffuse the situation unfolding before him. He hated violence but the crowd around them only cheered and whooped.

Ginny put her hand on the back of her head and pulled it back in front of her face and sure enough it was covered in blood. She also had its coppery taste in her mouth. She couldn't believe Hermione had just done that to her. She knew she would be mad, but to outright attack her like that? That was not in Hermione's nature.

Draco started to slowly clap his hands. "Amazing Granger! Look at the state of her." He laughed and gestured to Ginny. "Now that's what she deserves! You had me thinking you were stupid for a moment there." He laughed and the crowd cheered, clearly happy with the show. "Now quickly, get Granger out of here before she rips the weasel apart! We can't afford to lose this one just yet." He chuckled and gave a cocky wink to Ginny.

Hermione was escorted out of the courtyard and as Ginny watched her walking away Draco crouched down behind her. "Still think I'm lying about her hating you Weasley?" He said softly. "She will stay here forever."

"You're wrong, Malfoy." She said in a barely audible cracked voice, it sounded like the last fibre of energy she had was forcing the words out of her.

He leaned in closer to her ear and whispered. "I've already made her disown and attack her best friend and she hasn't even been here for 24 hours yet." His voice was thick with arrogance. "I will have her eating from the palm of my hand in no time at all."

With that he stood up and held out his arms to the slowly departing crowd. "That concludes tonight's entertainment folks!" He said charismatically. "We hope you're enjoying your evening, please make your way inside as food is now being served!" The crowd made their way back into the manor though all of the different doors they had leaked out of.

"Trixie!" He shouted.

The small, old little house-elf popped into sight once again. "How may I serve you, Master?" She said in a haggard voice.

"Take her and have her healed, then lock her away where she belongs and have her stripped of her luxuries." He demanded and left with a flick of his cloak and Ginny was taken away.


	8. Chapter 8

Draco walked from the courtyard into the grand ballroom of the manor. People were dotted all around the room, some he could hear talking about tonight's events.

He pointed his wand at his robes and gave it a complicated little wave; hot air streamed out of the tip and dried them. He moved the wand towards his head and also dried his hair. Within about a minute he looked as though he hadn't been outside at all that night.

He made a b-line for the drinks table to celebrate his victory when a slim, dark haired girl popped out from nowhere and stood in front of him to block his way.

"What do you want, Pansy?" He said with irritation thick in his tone.

She batted her eyelids and leaned forward. "Aren't you happy to see me?" Pansy said in a child-like voice.

Draco cringed at the dulcet tones coming out of her mouth, attacking his ears. "No actually, I thought I might be able to have one day without hearing your shrill voice." He said, obviously uninterested by her presence.

She looked incredibly hurt but Draco wasn't bothered. He knew Pansy was a stupid glory hunter who would open her legs for anyone who had a bit of power. She must have really thought her luck was in when she was betrothed to him. He was not happy with his father but what choice did he have? He was destined to marry this cheap little whore and he loathed the fact. Her family were a powerful pureblood family. His father thought it would be beneficial to connect the Malfoy blood with theirs.

Draco thought it was ridiculous that _he_ should be married to such an undesirable person. Sure she was beautiful and was from an old pureblood family like his, but in all honesty she was as thick as pig shit. She would drag the Malfoy name through the mud and Draco wasn't about to let that happen.

"I'm your fiancé." She said with a pout and she playfully stomped her foot to the floor in protest to what he'd just said.

She stood in her short, red, strapless dress which left nothing to the imagination. Her long, dark hair was slick and straight, it draped down her shoulders perfectly, but she had that stupid look on her face which she always had, her dead eyes a window to her ugly soul. He hated being anywhere near her, he always had.

"Not for long." He said very plainly and then he turned to walk away. He could hear her whining behind him but he didn't stop, he wanted to get as far from her as he possibly could. He was not going to marry a bimbo like Pansy Parkinson. He would make sure of it.

He left the ballroom and headed for the dungeons. He didn't know what for exactly, his body just went into auto-pilot. He reached the end of the elegant hallway and unlocked the heavy metal doors to the dungeons. He slipped though and closed it behind him as quietly as he could. He walked down a very small flight of concrete spiral stairs before he reached a dimly lit stone corridor. He walked past cell after cell silently until he came across the one the Mudbloods were kept in.

He stood in front of the entrance for a few moments and listened closely. He could hear timid little sobs coming from inside the cell. He slowly opened the door with a creak and stepped inside.

Hermione jumped to her feet and stared angrily into his eyes, as she always did. Her eyes were glassy and red from where she had clearly been crying. Draco had never seen her like this before. He took a step forward and noticed her flinch slightly but she acted like it never happened as her pride stepped in.

He slowly reached for his wand and Hermione took a step back. He pulled it out and pointed it at her as he looked around the room, he could see two other prisoners hiding in the corner. He pulled the pointing finger of his free hand over his mouth into a shushing motion in their direction and turned back to Hermione who was clearly trying to hide her fear.

With another complicated swish of his wand hot air escaped from its tip and almost instantly dried Hermione's soaking grey top and jeans, the air swished around her neck and her once soaking, tangled hair fell into loose bouncy curls around her shoulders and back.

"Why?" Hermione asked when his charm grew to a close.

"It was my fault you got wet this evening, it's only right that I dry you out. You did nothing wrong to deserve an uncomfortably cold night's sleep." He said plainly with a shrug.

"Thank you" Hermione said sarcastically. "Maybe you should get back to torturing Ginny." She quickly added with venom.

"I don't see what you're so upset about Granger." He said with annoyance. She didn't feel the need to respond, she just stared coldly at him. He took a breath and continued. "You're the one who hit her so hard she had blood coming from both sides of her head!" He laughed but Hermione didn't find any of it funny in the slightest.

Hermione just brought her fingers up to touch the pendant of her necklace again, it was stone cold. Whether she liked it or not, the girl she had just left beaten, bloody and alone in the rain was her family.

"What's that you have there?" Draco said as he eyed the piece of jewellery hanging around her neck.

"A family heirloom, not that it's any of your business." She stated coldly.

He scoffed. "That is not muggle-made! Do you think I'm an idiot?"

"Yes!" She answered immediately and then laughed nervously at her reaction to his question. To her surprise he laughed too. It wasn't the unnerving, insane laugh she normally heard but a genuine one.

He turned serious after a moment. He then reached for the necklace and took it from around Hermione's neck and placed it in the pocket of this robe. She had tried to bat his hands away but wasn't strong enough. She didn't want to end up breaking the only link she had to her blood father by having a tug of war with it. "I'd like to hold onto this for a while." He said plainly and turned to leave.

"No! You can't take that!" She snapped as she grabbed onto his sleeve.

"You can have it back when I'm done. You have my word." He said sharply as he shrugged her off his arm.

"And what good is your word, Malfoy?" She said nastily and he stopped and turned to face her again.

"It's all you have, Granger." He said simply and left the cell with a slam of the heavy metal door.

Hermione fell onto her knees and slammed her fists against the cold stone floor. She looked at them to inspect the damage and noticed the sides of her hands and little fingers were red raw and would probably bruise as a result of her stupid actions.

She then turned her attention to the knuckles of her trembling right hand, the knuckle of her middle finger had split open and was bleeding slightly. She couldn't believe what she had done to Ginny, it made her feel sick.

She felt Cecil's arm wrap around her, she was so tired, in body and soul. She could have just fallen to sleep right there on the spot. The last time she'd had a proper night's sleep was the night before Ginny had arrived at the shack, and even then it wasn't exactly a good night's rest, a few hours here and there between watches.

Cecil hoisted her up and led her to a pile of hay in one of the corners and lay her down into it. Hermione was surprised how comfortable it was as she seemed to sink into its softness, maybe it was just the exhaustion.

* * *

Hermione jolted upright as she heard the door of her cell slam shut. The daylight coming from the small window lit up the entire room and Hermione could see how filthy it was for the first time since her arrival. She looked to see who had interrupted her sleep and saw Lucius glaring down upon her and she could see Cecil and Chinzia crumpled up in the opposite side of the cell through the corner of her eye. Bloody cowards, she thought. Why did they always hide like this? Did they have no dignity? The thought lasted a few seconds as she remembered what horror she had experienced in the day that she had been here, and could only imagine how they had suffered for Merlin knows how long.

"Mudblood Granger" Slithered the cool voice of Lucius Malfoy. "My son tells me you are quite gifted in divination." His eyes burned into her and it made Hermione feel uncomfortable.

"Your son appears to have misinformed you." She said as politely as she could manage.

He considered her for a moment. "My son hasn't let me down so far, Miss Granger. _Don't lie to me_." He emphasised the last part of his statement clearly.

"I have no interest in divination. Men have been driven insane by knowing what the future holds." She explained, "Their efforts to prevent fatal outcomes have been their undoing."

"I am told that your pride and dislike for a certain teacher wouldn't allow you to take part in that particular class at Hogwarts, but you were rather talented with it at your silly little sleepovers with the Weasley girl, I've been told her memories can be terribly dull." He loomed over her as he spoke.

"Stop dragging this out and tell me why you're here." She said with a yawn and he suddenly reached down and grabbed her around the neck. He pulled her to her feet and slammed her backwards into the wall.

"Listen, Mudblood." He hissed onto the side of her face and into her ear with his hand still clamped tightly around her throat. "I need someone who is gifted in divination since my old friend Professor Trelawney decided to have a little… accident." His mouth twisted into an unsettling grin.

Hermione was speechless. She never really liked Professor Trelawney, she never trusted her and with good reason clearly, but she had still taught her in school. She was another one of Hermione's professors who was probably dead. Hermione tried to talk but he just tightened his fingers around her neck and moved closer to her as her hands grasped at his in an effort to loosen his monstrous grip.

"You're going to do it for me, Miss Granger." He stated quietly into her ear. "You're really in no position to refuse."

She could feel her head swaying and her eyes were growing blurry. She heard the door to the cell open and slam shut again.

"Must you have all the fun, Father?"

"Ah Draco, how lovely of you to join us, I was just having a quiet word with Miss Granger here." Said Lucius as he released his grip on Hermione's neck and she fell to the floor.

"I was hoping to be the one to break the news." Draco joked as he stepped closer to the two of them. "I'm assuming you've told her by the look on her face." He looked down at Hermione. "You're so easy to read, Granger." He laughed.

"Well if you know me so well, Malfoy, you will know that I'm not going to do it." Hermione said as she burned her gaze into his.

"Fine, have it your way, as a result Longbottom will spend the day with me. I need someone to practice my spells on." He shrugged.

"Neville would rather that than have me aid you and your sorry cause." She snapped.

"And Ginny, what about her?" He suggested coldly.

"I don't care about Ginny, you can do to her what you please." She mumbled as she broke eye contact with him.

"I know you've grown quite fond of the old man over there." He nodded over in Cecil's direction with a smirk on his face.

Hermione looked over to Cecil who was now curling up further into the corner. Almost as if he was trying to sink through the wall to safety. Hermione's heart sank at the sight of the poor man as pure fear washed over him. She looked back to Malfoy who was observing her closely. "Fine" She stated coldly in defeat.

"Good girl." He smirked and then he and his father turned and left the room together.

Once the door had closed Cecil jumped out of the corner and crawled to Hermione's side. He took both of her hands in his and looked deep into her eyes. "Thank you, Hermione." He said in relief. "Thank you so much."

"It's okay Cecil; I would do anything if it meant them not hurting you. You don't deserve this, you're a good person." She said as she gently squeezed his hands.

"Oh my gosh! She is such a hero!" Chinzia exclaimed sarcastically as she slowly walked towards her. "You know, they hardly came in here before you got here." She told Hermione coldly.

"I don't exactly want them in here either, Chinzia." Hermione spat.

"Oh really? You and Draco shared quite a moment last night."

"Are you crazy?" Hermione rose to her feet and stood directly in front of Chinzia. "Are you delusional? He has just threatened me so I would do his father's dirty work! You think we have ever shared any kind of moment that hasn't been vile?" She snapped.

"Oh stop acting so hard done by." She said plainly as she waved her hand dismissively in Hermione's direction.

"You think I'm acting hard done by? I'm my worst enemy's prisoner!"

"Yes, and he treats you much better than he treats the rest of us! You get away with murder, you've been given quite a useful job doing something the Dark Lord considers essential and you're still acting like you're in the worst position possible. Get over yourself!" Chinzia shouted as she stood in Hermione's face. She once again waved a dismissive hand to Hermione and took herself back the corner and slumped herself down onto the floor.

Was she actually right? Hermione thought to herself. When she pushed boundaries with Lucius he had no problem putting her straight back in her place. She hadn't noticed Draco being any different until now. Sure he had been cruel to her, but he had never seriously physically harmed her, which is more than can be said for her fellow prisoners.

Hermione slumped down into the hay again and closed her eyes. She must have dozed off again because she was woken by a loud crack and saw Trixie the house elf standing in front of her.

"You have been summoned." The elf said.

Hermione reached out her arm so the elf could take her wherever she needed to go but the elf stepped back to stop her. "You need to clean first." The elf swished her hands around until Hermione could no longer see them through the magical mist that had now covered them. As the fog around the elf's hands faded away Hermione saw that Trixie was now holding a folded towel and what looked like some kind of black garment on top of it. "I will take you to the wash rooms." The elf said and extended its wrinkly hand out for Hermione to take.

With a crack they both disappeared.

* * *

Draco sat in a large leather arm chair in front of the roaring fire of the manor's library. He had Hermione's wand in one hand and her necklace in the other. He had been researching it since he'd taken it from her the night before. He knew it was not from the muggle world so wondered how she had acquired it and why it was so important.

Although he had looked through every book he could find about wizarding jewellery he couldn't find Hermione's necklace or anything like it anywhere. It was so cold to touch, almost like ice. He could sense magic but he didn't know what kind exactly. It was only a mild charm but he wanted to figure out what it did and why she didn't want him to have it.

Maybe she stole it and thinks it's valuable? He thought to himself as he twirled the icy pendant in his fingers. He dismissed the idea as he thought money probably didn't mean a thing to Hermione.

The door opened suddenly and Draco shoved the necklace he was holding down the side of the chair.

Blaise Zabini appeared through the wide door frame followed by three other young death eaters carrying old boxes.

"Haven't you heard of knocking?" Draco snarled at his best friend with anger in his eyes.

"I've been sent by the Dark Lord actually. He has a small job for us." Blaise said proudly as he gestured to the boxes the other death eaters had placed on the floor.

"Well then I guess you had better get to work." Draco demanded.

"I knew you'd be like this, you arse." Blaise said as he stared at Draco seriously.

Draco stared back for a moment and then he laughed lightly. Blaise laughed too but when the other death eaters tried to join in Draco grew serious again. "What do you find so funny?" He asked the three boys seriously.

No one answered him; they just put their heads down and looked to the floor.

"Answer me!" He shouted.

One of the boys stepped forward slightly and bowed. "W-we, we j-just, thought.." the boy stuttered as Draco rose from his seat.

"Crucio!" he hissed as he pointed Hermione's wand at the boy and as the red bolt of light hit him in the chest he fell to the ground and started convulsing and screaming. Draco focused hard but was dissatisfied as Hermione's wand resisted the dark spell. He broke the curse and returned to his chair. He raised his arm and gestured to the other chair on the opposite side of the shiny black coffee table in front of him. "Come Blaise, take a seat." Draco said politely and Blaise moved across the room and sat down slowly onto the chair.

Draco used Hermione's wand to levitate a bottle of fire whiskey and two glasses from a shelf across the room. He settled them gently onto the table in front of them."Would you do the honours?" Draco said to Blaise with a smile. He then turned his attention to the young Death Eaters by the boxes. "Do as your Lord has instructed!" He spat and the three of them sprang into action opening the boxes and looking through them. He turned back to Blaise who had just finished pouring the fire whiskey into the crystal glasses. "What exactly has my father instructed?" Draco asked Blaise with a chuckle as he reached for a glass.

"These are some of the things found in Potter's hideout." Blaise said as he held out his big arm in the direction of the boxes.

Draco leaned back in his chair and sipped at his drink. "And?" He said and then took another mouthful.

"Your father wants us to search through it. He thinks we may be able to find something to take down the resistance." Blaise explained and then he too sipped his drink. Draco gestured his hand for Blaise to continue as he looked into dancing flames of the fire. "The Dark Lord is personally going through what we believe are Potter's things. We have been asked to go through the Mudbloods." Blaise had caught Draco's attention with this.

Draco thought for moment and then stood up. "I've enjoyed having you here Blaise, but may I ask you to leave?" Draco asked, Blaise knew it was an order not a request and didn't need to be told twice.

Blaise rose from his seat and bowed slightly with his drink still in hand. "As you wish." He said as he rose from his bow. "But I'm taking the drink with me. Good quality." He said with a smile as he turned and started to take long, heavy footsteps across the room towards the door.

Draco looked at the Death Eaters carelessly rifling through Hermione's things. "Get out!" He shouted viciously and the three of them bolted up and were quickly on Blaise' heels as he left the room. The door closed gently behind them and Draco walked over to the boxes. He saw various muggle objects; photos, birthday cards, some drawings that seemed to have been created by an infant.

He picked up a small, dark blue velvet pouch with a small draw string. He unfastened it and poured its contents into the palm of his hand. When he noticed what he was touching he quickly flicked them away from him in disgust and they scattered across the room. "Twisted muggles! Who the hell collects children's teeth?! Disgusting filthy rodents!" He muttered to himself as he frantically wiped his hand against his robe in an attempt to clean it.

He then turned his attention to another box after deciding he didn't want to search through the first one anymore. His eyes were immediately drawn to a beautiful wooden chest that was unlike anything else he had seen in the other boxes. He recognised it was not muggle-made and the precious red stones that formed a 'P' on the lid proved it was expensive.

He reached into the box, careful not to have to touch another dirty muggle item and picked up the chest. He took the chest and returned to his chair. He sat down and placed the chest onto the coffee table next to his fire-whiskey.

He reached down the side of the chair and pulled out the necklace. Judging by the matching stones they were obviously connected somehow. He placed the piece of jewellery down on the table and then moved his attention back to the chest. He opened the lid and to his disappointment only found it contained three scrolls of parchment. He picked up the scroll with the opened seal, unrolled it and began to read. His eyes darted from side to side as the contents of the letter pulled him in.

 _You are not who I have brought you up to believe you are. You are not Hermione Jean Granger. Your real name is Hermione Molly Jean Prewett. Your real father is Fabian Prewett. He is a wizard._

Draco sat back in his chair in shock. The Prewett's where one of England's oldest pureblood families, part of The Sacred Twenty-eight. He leaned forward and took a generous gulp of fire-whiskey and then continued to read until he reached the end of the letter.

 _Your father gave me this chest and its contents before he left, for you. Please forgive me._

So that must be how she got the necklace. It was her supposed fathers. Draco didn't quite believe what he'd just read could actually be true. He placed the letter on the table next to the necklace and reached for another piece of parchment.

He unrolled it to find it was a wizarding birth certificate, proof that the letter was indeed accurate. He looked at the scroll and as he saw the name _'Hermione Molly Jean Prewett'_ followed by Dumbledore's elegant signature and a jolt of happiness filled him for a moment.

He stuffed the scrolls back into the chest and pocketed the necklace again before he dashed out of the room. Maybe she would live through this war after all.


	9. Chapter 9

Hermione had spent a whole hour in the shower of the servant's bathroom. The water was soothing and seemed to wash all of her troubles away. It was warmer than the one she had back in the shack but still probably freezing compared to a normal shower.

She stepped out and reached for her towel but it wasn't where she had left it.

"Looking for this?" Draco's voice came from behind her and made her jump out of her skin. She looked over her shoulder to see him leaning against the wall of the bathroom arrogantly with her towell hanging from his finger.

She grabbed the black garment the house elf had given her earlier, held it in front of her and folded her arms over it to shield her body from his hungry eyes.

"Spoil sport." He joked.

"How dare you just come in here when I'm showering?" She said as her angry gaze burned into his.

"You belong to me now; there is no need to hide." He said simply as if it was nothing.

"I most certainly do not!" She spat and twisted her face into a look of disgust.

This made Draco angry. She could tell as the playful glow in his gleaming grey eyes turned dark and serious.

He took a step forward and she immediately took one back.

"Are you frightened of me, Granger?" He questioned curiously as he took another step forward. This time she didn't move she just stayed rooted to her spot to prove a point.

"No." She said simply as he took another step.

Before she knew what was happening he lunged towards her and pinned her against the sink counter behind her with his body while he held her wrists in his hands tightly to stop her trying to strike him.

He leaned in close to her face and she pushed herself back as far as she could go to escape him until the back of her head was touching the mirror on the wall above the counter. She was incredibly uncomfortable as the cold counter and sink dug into her back as Draco's warm body pressed against her front so she couldn't move. His body was now the only thing keeping the black garment covering her in place.

His face finally reached hers and he rested his cheek lightly against the wet of hers and whispered "Or should I say, _Prewett_?"

She felt his words brush against her face as the sound fell into her ear. She gasped and tensed up as she realized what he had learned. "How do you-" She began breathlessly

"Shhhhh" He leant into her further. "You can't hide anything from me." He whispered.

Sensing she was practically frozen to the spot he released his grip on her wrist and brought his hand up to lightly stroke her cheek as he pulled his head away from her ear to look at her face. She looked positively horrified and her eyes seemed to look right through him. Even though he thought she wouldn't react due to her being frozen in confusion he was still surprised she hadn't tried to punch him in the face.

He had her right where he wanted her.

He hooked his finger under her chin and pulled her face up slightly to force her to look into his. With his hand still supporting Hermione's face he whispered again "I have something I would like to return to you." He finally had her attention; she nodded her head ever so slightly. With his free hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out the necklace. "Let me put this on for you." He said gently and then draped the necklace around her neck, his hands brushing against her skin softly under her hair as he expertly fastened the clasp.

He placed one hand around the back of her neck and he took the pendant of the necklace with his other. He felt it start to warm up. He examined the stone curiously and it seemed to be burning like fire as it reacted to her skin.

"You will come clean about your heritage, and then you will swear allegiance to my Father. Do you understand?" He said softly as he gripped her neck tighter and twirled the pendant of her necklace in his fingers.

She snapped back into reality and slapped him hard across the face. "Take your filthy hands off me! I will never follow your father! My loyalty lies with Harry and it always will!" She shouted as the fire in her heart reignited slightly.

She had never seen Draco look as furious as he brought his face back up to meet hers with his menacing eyes, glazed with anger. The gentle look on his face only moments ago had been replaced by a look of rage.

"This is how you repay me for trying to save your sorry life?" He hissed through gritted teeth as he grabbed her tightly by her biceps and shook her slightly.

"I would rather be dead than stuck here with you!" She seethed as the anger of how he had tried to manipulate her into following him filled her entirely, the way he had _touched_ her.

He looked deeply into her eyes and it unnerved Hermione. She couldn't work out exactly what he was thinking. She thought he actually looked hurt but surely that couldn't be the case. He was heartless after all, everyone knew that.

He leant in close to her face. "We'll do this the hard way then." He spat and then threw her to the side onto the wet floor.

He walked over to the towel he had dropped earlier and picked it up. He walked back over to Hermione who had now propped herself up and was covering herself properly again with the black piece of clothing. He threw the towel viciously at her, so hard in fact that it stung her skin as it hit her. She looked up at him with hate in her eyes but didn't say anything.

She was so passionate, he thought to himself as she glared at him from the floor. Her wet hair was falling loosely around her bare shoulders. She was beautiful, bright, and bold. He thought.

"Clean yourself up." He finally demanded as he looked down at her in disgust. "You were summoned by my father almost two hours ago. I'm here to take you to him."

Hermione pushed herself to stand up and stumbled slightly as she walked over to the screen in the corner of the room to change into the clothing she had been given. It was a plain black dress that fell loosely just below Hermione's knees. The sleeves were long and the front was buttoned from her waist up to the neckline. The dress was surprisingly fitted considering she had never been measured. Overall she didn't hate it. It was actually quite nice in a simple kind of way and was good quality.

She stepped out to see Draco assessing how she looked. He had a pair of black shoes in his hands.

"Come here." He said simply and calmly and for some reason Hermione did as she was told and walked over to him cautiously until she stood in front of him.

"Sit down." He ordered as he gestured to a small wooden chair not too far behind her.

She shook her head and then he grabbed her roughly. "I said sit!" He growled as he forced her down onto the chair. Hermione decided she didn't like being around Draco and maybe her Gryffindor bravery just wasn't what she thought it was. She studied him in silence as he placed both of the shoes gently on her feet.

He then reached into his pocket quickly and pulled out something silver. It all happened too fast, he had already clipped the ankle bracelet-like thing around her ankle and had stood up before she could react.

She grabbed the piece of metal and tried to pull it open to take it off and she noticed the design, it looked like a silver snake was wrapping itself around her ankle. It was actually quite a beautiful object but Hermione just wanted to get the thing off.

"It's no use, _Prewett_." He said softly. "It will only come off if I personally remove it."

"What the hell are you playing at, Malfoy?" She spat as she continued to tug at the metal snake.

"It's charmed so I will always know exactly where you are." He said sweetly and then twisted his mouth into a smirk. "Now come on." He demanded as he pulled her up from her seat and led her towards the door. "My father has big plans for this evening."

Draco led a reluctant Hermione down the seemingly never ending maze of hallways and corridors of his manor. Hermione tried to remember every detail and turn but it was no use. This particular part of the manor reminded her of a rabbit warren. She could have sworn Draco was leading her in circles just to disorientate her.

"Why do you insist on taking me the long way? I thought I was late." Hermione said as Draco lightly dragged her by the wrist through the house. Draco didn't respond he just yanked her a little harder in the direction they were walking."Such a gentleman" She mumbled sarcastically.

"I'm glad you've finally noticed." He said plainly as she trailed behind him.

She just scoffed and then he yanked her harder and suddenly stopped walking leading her to crash helplessly into him. He of course caught her expertly in his arms.

"See, you just can't keep your hands off me." He joked and she tried to pull away but he held her tightly against his body.

"Let – me – go!" she struggled and he released her suddenly causing her to stumble to the floor in her struggle.

"See Prewett, that's what happens when I let go of you. You _fall."_ He said seriously as he looked deeply into her eyes fully emphasising the last word so Hermione knew he wasn't really just talking about her little stumble just now.

"Don't call me that." She said coldly, ignoring everything else in his statement. She noticed the necklace grow cold again. She wanted to know why it changed temperature the way it did but now wasn't the time to think about it.

He yanked her up and carried on silently down the hallway.

They finally reached an old, glossy, black door with swirls wrapping around the door frame. Draco stood in front of it and closed his eyes. Hermione studied him closely. He looked completely different with his eyes closed, harmless even. He was muttering incarnations quietly, Hermione memorised every word she heard.

The door clicked open and he pulled her inside. They were now in a large bright room with six small black glossy doors, three on the left and three on the right. In the centre of the wall directly in front of them was a large, silver letter M with water swirling gently around the extravagant curves of the letter. The water slowly poured from the flick of the M into the leafy water feature beneath it which stretched across the whole length of the wall. Amongst the tropical leaves were beautiful white moonflowers.

Hermione couldn't help but think the room was lovely in every single way, even though the M on the water feature was completely egotistical. She didn't have much time to admire the beauty before she was dragged across the stunning room and into the furthest room on the left.

This room reminded her of her Divination classroom back in Hogwarts. The table in the centre of the room had a big, glossy crystal ball in the centre. The shelves around the walls were packed with various herbs, scrolls, vials, cauldrons, cups and cards.

Lucius stood to the right of the table looking irritated by her presence. Another Death Eater stood in the corner of the room behind him, He was a tall man, in his thirties Hermione thought. His hair was dark, short and slightly curly, and he had a short stubbly beard. Hermione couldn't make out his features well in the dim candlelight but could see a scar running from his cheek down onto his neck. She'd never seen him before until now.

Lucius stepped forward slightly. "I'm going to kill Harry Potter tonight." He explained. "I know his little hiding place, I'm going to lure him out of it like a little rat and then I'm going to slaughter him in front of all of your little blood traitor friends."

Hermione's eyes burned with hate. "Why are you bothering to tell me this?" She asked confidently masking the hurt that threatened to break through into her voice.

"I believe, knowing the outcome of certain events works to my advantage. I've never been gifted in Divination which is why I have to have you here. I would much prefer if you were dead." He said as he looked at her with hate in his clear blue eyes, his long platinum hair draping over his shoulder onto his expensive black robes.

"So would I but alas, you deny me the pleasure." Hermione said politely and sweetly as a beautiful little smile graced her lips. She would not give him the satisfaction of thinking he could use her life against her.

She hated Lucius more than she had hated Voldemort. He was simply vile in every single way and cruel right to the very core. She had never seen one speck of anything decent in the man who stood before her. He had a rotten, empty soul and it wasn't hard to see.

Before anymore could be said Draco grabbed her arm tightly and roughly pulled her over to the table with the crystal ball in the centre. "Tell us how tonight will end." Draco demanded as he nodded towards the ball.

"It doesn't just work like that. I need some _space_." She hissed impatiently.

Draco took a reluctant step back and Hermione stepped up to the table. She looked into the swirling white fog inside the ball and took a deep breath. "I'm not even good at this you know?"

"You've seen things before; I know you have, I've seen you do it." Draco said impatiently as he watched her.

"I've seen the odd thing; it doesn't make me a fortune teller!" She snapped as she shot him a dirty look.

Complete concentration was the key to unlocking her 'inner eye', how could she calm her mind in order to achieve that given everything that had happened over the last few days? She didn't even want to see what she was being asked to see. What if she saw Lucius brutally kill Harry? What could she do to prevent it? It would be enough to drive her insane.

If she didn't, what would happen to the friends who were going through this with her? Neville, Cecil, even Ginny and Chinzia she supposed. They would probably be tortured until that drove her insane instead.

She tried to clear her mind of the horrible images now clouding her thoughts. Concentrate damn it! She cursed silently. She calmed her vivid imagination and focused on the swirling smoke gently swishing around the ball.

About forty minutes passed before Hermione saw anything in the ball, she had fought a mighty battle with her own thoughts but was now completely focused. The smoke parted slightly and the rest of the room seemed to fade away.

Hermione leaned in closer, frowned and tilted her head slightly. She concentrated harder on what it was trying to show her and she saw the distant figure of Draco coming out of the fog. The scene cleared more as Hermione focused harder. He was in a large beautiful garden on a stunning summer's day. There where butterflies floating around the gorgeous flowers that seemed to be everywhere.

Draco was handsome here, she thought. His rainy eyes were bright and his face glowed, he looked, happy? Hermione had never seen him look like this before, genuinely happy. He wore a sheer white shirt with the top four buttons undone so it hung loosely on his body.

He walked over to a girl who was sitting on the side of an elegant marble water fountain. It had a white marble lion as its centre piece at the top of the fountain and then water cascaded down the sides around it and eventually into a sparkling pool of water at the bottom which looked spectacular in the gleaming sunshine. The girl was dressed in a pretty, floral, floaty summer dress which draped down the side of the fountain.

She had her head in a book that Hermione couldn't make out through the fog in the ball, Draco glided smoothly behind the girl and suddenly picked her up into a bridal position and spun her around and around as they laughed. The girls hat fell off and Hermione saw the last person she'd expected to see.. Herself.

He lowered her down onto the soft summer grass and looked into her eyes, he didn't look happy anymore; he was once again the Draco she was used to seeing.

The fog began to come back but this time it was green and was swirling more ferociously. Hermione's eyes darted all over the ball desperately trying to return to the scene that was just ripped away from her to discover what it meant but knew she'd never find it again, that's just how these things worked, they gave you nothing more than a sniff of information and then would rip it away.

Draco and Lucius could tell that Hermione could see plenty in the ball but they could still only see the white smoke that fogged up the inside of the crystal. Lucius wore a smirk on his face as he eyed her eagerly.

Hermione focused harder than she ever had before. The green smoke started to part. She could see a beach. This was what she was supposed to see.

The clouds were dark black and Lucius stood with his robes and silky hair blowing in the wind.

His face was tired and he had a defeated, sad look on his dirty face. Lucius didn't talk; he just looked helplessly and sadly into the space in front of him.

Suddenly he was blasted with a shot of green light that wrapped violently around him before his lifeless body fell into the wet sand with a thud.

The white fog swirled and covered the beach and Lucius' dead body until all Hermione could see was the original milky smoke inside the ball again.

She stepped back and looked at Draco with wide eyes, remembering the scene in the garden. He was looking at her curiously, she felt incredibly awkward so then her eyes darted quickly to Lucius, she remembered him lying dead in the sand. Harry had defeated him.

She started to laugh, quite uncontrollably.

"What's so funny you stupid girl? Tell me what you've seen!" The desperation in Lucius' voice as he grabbed her arms and shook her only made her laugh harder, like a lunatic in fact.

She would be okay. She thought with relief, until she remembered the garden scene with Draco. She stopped laughing but didn't notice Lucius' eyes burning hatefully into her.

Would she still be a prisoner come the summer months? She thought it was sometime in November at the moment but she couldn't be sure. Who knew how far into the future that vision had taken her? How could that be? Lucius had been defeated. She looked over at Draco again whose eyes were burning into her skin as he studied her.

The Heir.

The feeling sank into the pit of her stomach and made her feel sick. Harry didn't just have to kill Lucius, he had to kill Draco too if he was going to put an end to this war.

"Tell me!" Lucius screamed and brought her attention back to him, his strong fingers bruising her arms as he squeezed them tightly.

"You wouldn't want to know, old man." She hissed with a smirk on her face. She felt in control now even though she was not.

Lucius released her arms and focused on Hermione's eyes. "Legilimens" he said quickly and he entered Hermione's thoughts and memories.

She closed her eyes tightly as she tried to resist the spell and tried to clear her mind of any thoughts she didn't want him to see. She was okay at Occlumency but had not been ready for this attack. The memories of her vision came flooding back into her mind despite how hard she tried to push them away. It was like a mental game of tug of war and he eventually won.

Lucius saw everything. He took a staggered step back and held onto the table for support. "That can't be." He said in a whisper.

Hermione stared at Draco who was looking at his father with a concerned look on his face.

"Everyone get out." Lucius said calmly as he brushed down his robes and regained composure.

"Father, what ha-."

Lucius charged over to Draco before he could finish and looked him square in the eye. "I want you to go and kill your little whore before she twists your mind any further." He grabbed his arm and shoved him roughly in Hermione's direction. "She is a filthy Mudblood and I will not allow my son to sink to such a disgusting level."

"She's actually half-blood, Father." Draco corrected him as he looked plainly into his angry eyes.

Lucius back-handed Draco hard across the face but Draco acted like it was nothing, almost like it didn't happen at all.

"She's already started to manipulate you. You are going to take my place as leader some day, you can't be fucking the lead of the resistance!" He growled at Draco who looked into his eyes and nodded. Hermione knew that Lucius was referring to the vision she'd just seen but she was surprised that Draco wasn't more confused.

"Being your heir is the only thing I live for, if the time comes I will not fail you Father, I promise. If the only way I can prove that to you is by killing this stupid girl then so be it." He said simply and walked towards Hermione. He put a binding charm on her arms and pushed her roughly towards the door to leave.

"Not so fast, Draco" Lucius hissed as Draco tried to walk away. "Devereux will be joining you."

The Death Eater in the corner of the room stepped forward and with a small, silent bow to Lucius he began to follow Draco.

Draco marched Hermione through the lovely bright room and back into the long hallways of the Manor. They didn't travel for long before they reached the small door which led down to the dungeons.

Draco pulled open the door and dragged Hermione roughly down the stairs. He stopped in front of a large metal door to one of the cells on the opposite side of the corridor to Hermione's cell. He pulled out his wand and with a swish the door clicked open. He shoved her roughly inside, muttered something to the Death Eater who was following them and then left him outside as he closed the door behind him.

"What did you see?" He demanded as he looked deeply into her eyes.

"Something your father obviously didn't like." She said smugly.

"Tell me." He demanded again, this time more sternly.

"I don't have to tell you anything." She hissed as she looked into his handsome, chiselled face which was gradually twisting into a look of anger. He tried to read her memories but she was expecting it and deflected him so well she was actually quite proud of herself.

"Don't make me hurt you." He warned as he took a slow, threatening step towards her.

"I don't care what you do." She said confidently as she raised her chin high into the air to prove she wasn't scared, even though she was.

He pulled out his wand and pointed it in Hermione's direction. "I've been ordered to kill you, so if I were you I would do as I say." He said; his voice laced with frustration.

"I will follow none of your commands. You don't own me. So you might as well get it over with." She said with a shrug, despite the fact that a now furious Draco stood in front of her with his wand pointed to her chest.

"You don't understand what's at stake here! I need to know what he saw!" He shouted, so loud that his voice echoed through the whole basement.

She didn't like it when he was angry, he was unpredictable but she decided to stand her ground. "You say that like I actually care!" She spat nastily.

"Then you leave me no choice…. Crucio." He said quietly in a sad, cracked voice and a red bolt came from his wand and struck Hermione in the chest which forced her to crumple to the floor in pain. He lifted the curse after only and few seconds and looked at Hermione as she lifted herself from the floor.

"Is – that all you've – got?" She panted as she rose and stood upright once again with her chin held high. "You're fathers curse was much more powerful, how on earth do you expect to take his place?" She mocked.

"Don't make me do this." He said, Hermione thought he actually sounded desperate. Why was he acting like this? All she had heard and seen since she'd arrived here was that he was a ruthless killer and no one stood in his way. Now he was almost begging her not to make him hurt her. To say she was confused would have been an understatement. "Tell me what you saw, I need to know." He tried to keep his voice calm and kind but couldn't mask the aggravation.

"Fuck you." She said nastily ignoring the danger she was in and another bolt of red light shot into her body and she once again fell to the floor as her legs gave up beneath her.

She hated this curse, it felt like every bone in her body was repeatedly breaking over and over again and her skin was being stabbed with red hot pokers.

As he stopped the curse again after just a couple of seconds, he dragged her to her feet and forced her against the wall. He pulled out an old antique looking dagger and held its cold blade against Hermione's throat. He stared into her teary eyes and pushed the knife a little harder into her neck and a small droplet of blood slid down her throat and down onto her collarbone as she hissed quietly in pain.

"It's imperative that you tell me what you've seen." He whispered. "I really don't want to do this, but I will."

His dark grey eyes were so deep with anger and Hermione remembered suddenly why she feared him. Something about those stormy eyes just unhinged her. They were filled with the promise of suffering and pain. The way they were burning into her seemed more painful than the blade that was cutting through her skin and she knew she had to stop pushing him before he did something really crazy.

"Okay" She said gently and softly in defeat, trying not to move with the dagger being pushed so hard to her throat. Draco took a step back and put the knife away and looked at Hermione willing her to tell all. "I don't know why you're so desperate to know, but I saw us both in a garden, I was reading by a fountain and you were sitting with me." She explained, not really caring to tell the whole truth. "I guess your father wasn't happy with the fact that you'd joined the Order."

He slammed her violently against the wall. "Don't lie to me. I hate being lied to." He hissed. "Tell me the truth and don't lie to me again!" He warned as his angry eyes grew even darker.

"We were just sitting by a fountain, I promise!" She said trying to keep her voice steady as the fear flowed through her making her body shake violently. "I don't know why he freaked out about it. I guess he wasn't happy that you weren't torturing me."

He let her go; obviously only half satisfied with her answer as he eyed her suspiciously.

"Does it end well for my father tonight? He asked. "I need to know."

"No." she said simply.

He paused for a moment, thinking about what she'd just said. He showed no emotion.

"Thank you for eventually cooperating. Please don't make me hurt you like that again." He said and then pulled her into his arms. She wanted to kick and scream until he let her go but she knew the smartest thing to do would be to just let him do as he pleased and then leave.

He pulled her away from his chest so she could look into his face and then he stroked the curls away from her eyes. "I'm not going to kill you today." He said kindly.

"But your-"

"I don't care." He interrupted. "I'm going with my father tonight to raid Shell Cottage. You'll stay here until I return." He placed a soft kiss on Hermione's cheek and left her alone in the dingy cell.

The cell was nicer than the one she was in before but only slightly. She stumbled over to the old metal bed and fell onto it and broke down. What was going on? Even with everything else that was happening all she could think about was Draco.

She thought about how he had just tortured her for information and sobbed harder. She felt like he had betrayed her but she didn't understand why. He was just another cruel Death Eater, so why was she surprised that he'd hurt her? Why did she think he was different? Just because he hadn't done that kind of thing before didn't mean he would never do it.

She thought about how cruel he'd been to her one minute and then the next he had been just as caring towards her as Harry or Ron could have been. Why was he acting like he cared about her? Had he just kissed her on the cheek? It was all such a blur she didn't know if it had actually happened or not. It had to be part of some sick mind game he was playing in order to break her.

He didn't spare my life because he cared about me; he's keeping me alive to torture me in the worst way possible. She thought as her warm tears stream down her face. She had only been at Malfoy Manor for two days but it felt like years. Two days and she could already feel her mind unhinging. She felt weak and pathetic.

She cried herself to sleep and was only woken by her door slamming shut. Devereux was standing in front of her with a plain look on his tanned face.

"The raid party are due to return any minute now. Come with me." He said, he had a French accent but he spoke English very well.

"You're from France?" She asked him curiously as she sat up.

"I'm told that curiosity of yours is going to get you killed one of these days." He said, with a smile, to Hermione's surprise.

"I'm actually surprised it hasn't already." She said half-jokingly.

He smiled again. "Follow me."

Hermione stood up and walked towards him. He lifted his arm for her to take; even though this man was a Death Eater she didn't feel in any immediate danger, she knew she probably would be in trouble if she didn't do as she was told, and at that moment she didn't have the energy to refuse. Hermione took his arm cautiously and he led her out of the cell.

Hermione and Devereux walked through the manor arm in arm in silence until they reached the grand reception room. The ceiling was so high and there was an extravagant crystal chandelier hanging beautifully between two sets of curved stairs. The dark wood floor was so shiny she could see her reflection in it.

The room was full of people. Hermione wasn't sure she recognised any of them at first. Devereux led her through the crowd of Death Eaters and he held her by the arm tightly until they were at the front. There was a crowd of people opposite Hermione a little smaller than the one she had just been pulled through. The two crowds stood in lines along the length of the room on the left and the right leaving a clearing from the front door to the stairs.

Hermione looked at the people across the room and noticed she actually recognised a lot of faces. She saw Cecil first who smiled at her kindly. She had missed him in the short while she had been gone. Then Chinzia who looked less impressed to see her as she stared at Hermione with hate. While the Death Eater from the forest stood not too far behind her eyeing her up like he was hungry and she was a piece of meat, it made Hermione's stomach turn.

She continued to scan the crowd. She spotted Neville who seemed to be looking at her with complete disgust. He looked badly beaten and withdrawn. Hermione wondered why he looked at her the way he did but she thought anything could have happened to him in the last two days much like what had happened to her, or worse.

Ginny was the next person she spotted, she looked dreadful. She just stood and looked at the floor.

Hermione noticed that everyone on the other side of the room were in chains. Was that the prisoner's side? Why wasn't she over there and why didn't Devereux chain her like the others?

Just then her thought was interrupted by the large front door slamming open and a team of Death Eaters marching inside, led by Draco.

Draco came to a standstill and the Death Eaters who were following him moved to join the crowd on Hermione's side.

Draco stood in the middle of the room and he eyed up both crowds with an unnerving look.

"Where's the Dark Lord?" Shouted a voice from somewhere behind Hermione, she didn't know who's it was.

Draco turned towards the sound and caught Hermione's eye. He looked directly her and held his hands out to his sides. "You're looking at him." He said smugly with a devilish smirk as he gazed into Hermione's eyes from across the room.

A man with grey hair stepped from the crowd on Hermione's side of the room. "What happened to Lucius?" He asked softly.

"I killed him." Draco said simply.

Gasps of horror and whispers filled the room.

"QUIET!" Draco shouted loudly and his words bounced off the walls and the room turned silent. "Has anyone got a problem with that?" He asked the crowd of people collectively.

The grey haired man took another step towards Draco who had his wand tightly in his grip. "Draco my boy, you've killed your own father." The man said in a gentle voice but the disgust was clear.

"Avada Kedavra!" A ferocious blast of green light exploded from the tip of Draco's wand and launched the man's now dead body back into the crowd. Hermione watched horrified as he glared around at the people in the room with insane eyes. "Anyone else have a problem with it?" He shouted, but this time no one answered. The only sound in the room was his words echoing slightly.

"My father was a fool!" He began to explain. "He would have led you to failure, but I will lead us to victory! We will rule the entire wizarding world!" He explained to his new followers who all stood before him in fear.

Neville scoffed from behind Draco. "The only thing you'll ever rule is this Manor, and you had that handed to you on a plate." He spat.

Hermione saw the colour draw out of Draco's eyes like it did when he lost his temper with her but a hundred times worse than she had seen it before, he turned in Neville's direction and began to walk slowly towards him.

Hermione's heart literally felt like it fell out of her chest and landed on the floor. She had to stop Draco from hurting her friend whatever the cost. She tried to run towards Draco to grab him but Devereux had a tight grip on her arm which only grew tighter as he realised what she was trying to do.

"Are you crazy?" He spat and he yanked her back beside him. "You'll get yourself killed." He hissed quietly.

Draco finally reached Neville and he punched him hard in the face causing Neville stumble backwards and fall over as he got tangled in the chains around his ankles. Not to long after he hit the floor Draco hit him with a Cruciatus Curse that made Neville's body convulse violently.

Hermione tried to rip herself away from Devereux again but he still had a tight grip on her and yanked her sharply back into line again as the Death Eaters around them started to look at the pair of them. "You're causing a scene." He hissed again.

Draco didn't show any signs of stopping and blood had started to seep out of Neville's mouth. Hermione took advantage when the man next to Devereux bumped into him taking his attention away from her. She slid her arm out of his and sprinted across the room, she was sure Devereux would be hot on her trail so she ran as fast as her legs could carry her.

She finally reached Draco and she threw herself in front of him and held her hands out to touch his chest. His eyes were twisted and full of hatred. He didn't even notice Hermione's presence he was so focused on inflicting as much pain as he could upon Neville. She thought the Crucaitus he had used on her was bad but she now realised that to Draco, it was nothing more than a slap on the wrist.

She looked at him sadly as he looked over her and at Neville's convulsing body, his eyes filled with sheer rage.

"Draco, please stop." She pleaded quietly, loud enough so Draco hopefully heard her but no one else did. She griped the front of his black shirt into her tiny little fists. "Draco, please!" She said a little louder with a lot more desperation.

He snapped his eye's away from Neville's body to meet hers which were now filled with tears.

His face softened and his eyes lightened up slightly as he looked down at the small figure clutching at his shirt. She was truly beautiful, he thought to himself. He had never let himself acknowledge his feelings for her until now. He had always suppressed them by bullying and tormenting her. Since she had been here, in his house, he'd found it harder to push back. He'd slipped straight away and had continued to fall ever since.

He decided he wanted her to be his; he wanted to have every single part of her as his own and he didn't care what anyone thought about it. He was the god-damned leader now! Whatever he wanted, he would have.

He lowered his wand and hooked his hand around Hermione's waist and pulled her close to him. "This wouldn't have been possible if not for you my lovely little flower." He said happily and the whispers in the crowds stirred up once again.

"Malfoy, what are you doing?" She asked quietly as she discreetly tried to pull herself out of his grip without angering him again as she looked around at the prying eyes of the crowds watching their every move.

"I much prefer it when you call me Draco." He said quietly with a smirk as he pulled her closer to him.

"Malfoy, let me go – please." She pleaded so quietly even Draco struggled to hear her.

He swung her around slightly so they were both facing Neville and the rest of the prisoner crowd. Hermione shifted uncomfortably in his arm as he gripped her tightly.

Neville was looking up at her with pure disgust from the floor covered in his own blood, the man who caused his injuries with his hands all over her speaking to her sweetly like he had, what must they think?

Draco was clearly drunk with power at the moment and Hermione didn't want to push him to do anything stupid.

He summoned a Death Eater from the right and asked him to move his guests to the grand ballroom for refreshments. The Death Eater nodded his head and then started to guide the crowd on the other side of the room through the big double doors between the two sets of stairs.

Draco looked at his prisoners. Half of them he remembered from school, the other half he hardly knew at all. "She belongs to me now." He told them firmly. "Isn't that right?" He'd now turned his head down to look at Hermione and waited for a response, as did all of the prisoners.

She looked up and stared into Draco's deep grey eyes with her glassy caramel ones and pleaded with him silently. Praying he would read her mind and stop what he was doing. He gripped her more tightly and deepened his stare. His eyes spelled a warning.

If she refused, who knows what he could do to her or anyone else in the room in the state he was in. If she agreed her friends would think she was a traitor. She thought he had surely lost his mind, he could not be doing this to mess with her head, this was just too far.

"Malfoy-." She began.

"Ah ah ah… You know I don't like it when you call me that." He warned.

She paused for a moment. Every second she'd been in this situation felt like an hour. She took a breath. "Draco-." She paused again as she tasted the foreign word in her mouth. "Please stop." She said and his eyes grew angry once more.

"I asked you a question." He said sternly as he pushed his fingers into the bottom of her back. "I expect you to answer it."

"I can't answer it now!" She said in desperation, she needed this terrible moment to be over. She looked so _guilty._ They were chained and she was free, they were in rags and she wore a lovely new dress, the way the cruel leader of the Death Eaters had his arm around her saying she was his.

"You don't have to answer it! It's pretty damn obvious you're a _traitor!"_ Neville growled and then spat a mouthful of blood in Hermione's direction.

Draco looked down at him with disgust laced across his normally composed features. Then he looked back to Hermione. "See what you've done?" He asked nastily before flicking her roughly away from him. He walked up to Neville and kicked him hard in the face. Neville landed flat on his back from the force and blood poured out of his nose down his cheeks, onto his ears and then dripped onto the dark wooden floor.

The other prisoners watched in horror not daring to get involved in such a messy situation.

"If you act that way towards her again I will kill you. Do you understand?" Draco hissed as he peered down at Neville's bloody form. He didn't wait for an answer he just turned around to look at Hermione who had her hands over her mouth and was crying. Her body was hunched over like she was in pain. He walked up to her and took her by the waist again.

"You belong to me now, isn't that right?" He asked her again. This time she knew what kind of consequences she and her friends would face if she refused or avoided the question again.

Ginny watched the scene unfold before her, she was silently pleading for Hermione to refuse. She knew her well enough to know she would be being manipulated and forced into this, and knowing Hermione she would put herself through anything to keep the people she loved safe. It was one of the things she loved most about Hermione, and hated out of jealousy.

She didn't want Hermione to give herself to that monster just to keep them safe, they would never be safe. This was another one of his games and she didn't want to see him win again.

Hermione looked at the crowd of on looking prisoners. Neville was just propping himself up again and was wiping blood from his nose with his sleeve. Hermione couldn't even look at him anymore. He must have hated her.

She finally saw Ginny who was burning her eyes into her. When their gazes met Ginny gave her head a barely noticeable shake. Hermione saw it but just looked sadly at her old friend before she looked back to Draco who was staring at her impatiently.

With swollen, red, watery eyes and a staggered breath "Yes." she breathed, the word was barely audible but she knew most had heard it as she felt the atmosphere in the room shift. They hated her.

Hermione didn't know what to think. What had she just said? Did she really belong to him now? What did that even mean? She had just said the words to calm him down but she now felt like it was more than that, like she had sold her soul to the devil. What did he even want from her?

He had the caring look back in his eyes; he looked at peace with the world as he gazed lovingly at her., he'd snapped so quickly out of his angry state. He pulled her close to him again with one arm and summoned another Death Eater with the other and asked him to move the prisoners back to their cells and with a nod of his head the Death Eater started to round up the prisoners and the other guards joined him.

Hermione didn't look at any of their faces as they were dragged past her with hate and disgust in their eyes. She just continued to look at Draco full of hurt for what he had just put her and Neville though.

He kept his arms around her until the last of the prisoners had been escorted away and then let her go suddenly and took a step back. "Get her out of my sight."

Devereux appeared again and took Hermione by the arm and led her up one of the flights of stairs. "You're one lucky soul." He said quietly as they walked. "If you were anyone else you'd be dead now."

"I wasn't going to just stand there and let him kill my friend." She said just as quietly but her voice was laced with anger.

He leant in a little closer to her so she could hear him clearly. "I think the _only_ reason your fool of a friend isn't dead now is _because_ he's _your_ friend. The Dark Lord won't kill him until he needs to use it against you. You'd do well to remember that if you want your friends to live." And with that he shoved her into a room and closed the door behind her and locked it.

She didn't even take in her surroundings; she just saw the bed and collapsed onto it.

Harry is still alive and he would come for her eventually. She thought happily. It was the one good thing she had left to hold onto.


	10. Chapter 10

The winter sun was gleaming through the window of Draco's study as he sat at his desk looking through various scrolls and pieces of parchment. The sleeves of his black shirt rolled up to his elbows. The door clicked open and Draco dragged his eyes up from his work to see who had disturbed him. He was least impressed to see Pansy standing in the doorway with her stupid ferret face screwed up into an angry stare.

"You'd better have a good reason for disturbing me, Parkinson." He said lazily as he looked back down to the papers on his desk and started to inspect them again.

She slammed the door shut behind her loudly which made Draco pull his hand up to massage his head and sighed as she walked over to stand in front of his desk.

"I saw you last night Draco, with the Mudblood." She said angrily and his murderous eyes flicked up to burn into her empty, lifeless ones.

"She is not a Mudblood, and even if she was it's certainly none of your business." He said through gritted teeth as he continued to stare at her nastily.

"I'm going to be your wife in a few months. It has everything to do with me." She said matter of factly.

"No, you're not. I would sooner give up this entire empire before I'd marry you." He spat, never once breaking eye contact with her.

"But, your father sa-."

"My father is dead. Whatever deal he made with your family is off." He clipped nastily.

She stood silently for a moment in shock. Draco was pleased he'd finally shut her up until his relief was broken when she opened her mouth again to speak. "Your mother is coming here today from Hogwarts. She heard the news that you mercilessly killed her husband." She said quietly and nastily.

He didn't react the way she wanted him to. She had expected him to show some kind of pain at her words but his face didn't even flinch, he just continued to stare. "Good, she can help you pack." He said lazily and returned his attention back to his desk.

"Are you seriously going to leave me for that horrible, Mudblood whore!?" She spat with her eyes narrowed in confusion and disgust.

He stood up sharply from his chair making it fall over onto its back with a clatter, and slammed his fists violently on the desk, his eyes again burning into Pansy murderously. He leant on his fists over the desk to close the gap between them slightly. "She's more worthy to take the Malfoy name than you will ever be, _half-blood_ or not. The thought of having to spend the rest of my life with a soulless, nasty _bitch_ like you, when I could have someone like her, makes me want to drive a dagger right through the centre of your dead, black heart." He said viciously as tears began to fall from Pansy's eyes. "Get out" He spat.

She stood there in front of him, thinking of something she could say to him to change his mind. "Okay, Draco I can still be your wife and if you want to be with her too… I'm okay with that." She said in one last desperate attempt.

He moved from behind his desk and moved to stand in front of her. He put his hand gently on the back of her neck and slid his fingers into her sleek black hair. She looked up at him with a smile and he leant in as if he was going to kiss her. Just as he got to her lips he stopped and stared into her eyes. "Like I would do something like that to her, for someone like _you_." He hissed and then pulled the hand in her hair into a fist and yanked her roughly towards the door. He pulled the door open with his free hand and threw the struggling girl out of his study. "I told you to get out!" He spat as she fell across the hallway in her ridiculously high heels and fell into the wall.

Blaise was just about to knock on the door and looked terribly confused when his hand fell through thin air as Draco opened the door and threw the teary girl across the hallway. Draco acted as though she had vanished as soon as he saw Blaise. He didn't notice her stand and scurry down the hallway towards the entry hall.

"Blaise, my friend what can I do for you." He said nicely as all of the venom in his voice from his encounter with Pansy melted away.

Blaise bowed his head slightly. "I just came to inform you that we've had word that your mother will be arriving here later today. I thought you might want to know." Blaise said softly.

"Ah yes, I've already heard the news." Draco said uninterestedly and turned to return to his study. "Please, come in Blaise. I have business I would like to discuss with you."

Draco picked his chair up from the floor as Blaise studied him. He had no idea what was going on with Draco at the moment. He had known him all his life and knew exactly what he was capable of and it had been no surprise to Blaise that he had killed his father but at this moment he couldn't work about what Draco would do next. Once Draco had taken his seat, Blaise sat down on the chair in front of Draco's desk.

"You've always been my right hand man, Blaise." Draco said as he leant forward on his elbows. "I would like you to be my deputy. In my absence you will be in charge. What do you say?" He asked.

"I would be honoured." He said softly with a smile.

"Good, for your first act of business I would like you to call a meeting with the council for this afternoon. You will of course be present for this meeting and all of the meetings held in the future." He instructed.

"But, your mother is due to arrive this afternoon, My Lord." He said in confusion.

"We don't have any time to spare; I need to act quickly before the news of my father's death travels too far. I have instructed the Prophet not to publish any stories related to it but word will still travel fast and end up in enemy ears before we know it. We need to be ready before it does." Draco explained.

Blaise nodded and stood up to leave.

"Before you do, can you check on Hermione? Devereux will show you where she is, but you mustn't under any circumstances give her location to anyone."

Blaise looked at Draco in confusion. "What's the deal with the Granger girl, Draco?"

"What do you mean? He asked with the same look of confusion.

"You can't hide it from me, Draco. I'm your best friend. I saw how you were with her last night, and I've just seen you throw your beloved fiancé into a wall." He said in his soft, smooth voice.

"It's nothing really." Draco said simply as his features smoothed out into an emotionless expression.

"I know you like her" He said almost smugly.

"Well then you don't know very mu-." Draco began.

"And I know you always have." Blaise interrupted. His voice now thick with smugness as Draco's face dropped slightly and he fell into silence.

Blaise just looked at him for a moment.

"She's the best witch our age Blaise, and Malfoy's always have the best." He said simply.

"But she's a Mudb-."

"SHE IS NOT!" Draco shouted as he tensed up at the word his best friend was just about to say.

Blaise didn't say anything; he just looked at Draco and frowned.

"She's a Prewett. She's half-blood." He said calmly and he grabbed one of the scrolls from his desk and threw it to Blaise.

Blaise looked at Hermione's birth certificate carefully. He couldn't believe what he was reading. His father had been good friends with the Prewett's before… He suddenly realised that Hermione must have been the daughter of Fabian, the pureblood who tried to marry a muggle during the first war. He'd been told the stories of how he was killed for doing such a disgusting thing, in order to teach Blaise that being with someone with no magical blood was a terrible thing to do, and that death is what someone like Fabian deserved for committing such a vile act. He thought all of the pure-blooded children his age had been told the same story to put them off doing it themselves. Fabian's story had become famous amongst the old families.

He looked back up to Draco who was studying his reaction carefully. "What does this mean?" Blaise asked, now even more confused than before despite his great intellect.

"It means, that if I so desired, I could marry her." He said softly still studying Blaise's reaction. It was the first time Draco had ever voiced his secret intentions to anyone.

"It wouldn't go down well." He advised carefully.

"It would go down however I wanted it to, Blaise." Draco said simply.

"She would never agree to that. I'm sorry to say it Draco, but she hates you, probably more than anyone else."

"She will agree to it eventually, I'm already getting somewhere with her and it's only been two days." He said, now becoming inpatient.

"Where exactly do you think you're getting, My Lord? She is your prisoner and one of the people who lead the fight to destroy you. You will never make her stay here with you and be your wife." Blaise said even more carefully as Draco's eyes darkened.

Draco leaned forward and stared into Blaise's eyes. "Mark my words; she will stay here with me for the rest of her life. If she will not give me what I want then I will take it." He said darkly.

"She will always try to escape." Blaise said simply and softly. "She might even succeed, you said it yourself, she's the best witch our age."

"You'll see Blaise, one day I will grant her with her freedom and she will beg to stay by my side." He said arrogantly.

"You know better than me, My Lord." Blaise said with a bow of his head. "I wish you all the best." He said with a smile and then turned and left the room, leaving Draco with his thoughts.

She would be devoted to him and to no one else. He would make sure of it. They would rule the magical world together and her loyalty to him would be unmatched, whether she liked it or not.

* * *

It was mid-afternoon and Draco sat at the head of his large dining table. The same dining table his teacher of Muggle-Studies had been killed on. Around him sat the council of Death Eaters his father had chosen. There was around fifteen of them altogether.

"Before we start I would like to make some changes to this council." Draco said loudly and clearly as the council all turned their heads to listen to him. He pointed to four death eaters around the table including the man who used to be Lucius' deputy and told them to leave. They did, his father's old friend looked at Draco with hate as he stood up to leave.

"I appoint Blaise Zabini as my deputy and Theodore Knott after him." Draco said as the two men entered the room and took their seats around the table.

Draco looked at his new team, half satisfied. "I may make more changes in the future." He said simply as he eyed them all up.

"What happened to Harry Potter during the raid, My Lord?" Theo asked the question that was on everyone else's mind.

"Nothing happened to Harry Potter. I killed my father before he could carry out his stupid little raid." Draco explained.

The council looked at Draco and when he saw a crowd of confused faces peering at him he sighed with irritation and then continued "Harry Potter will come to us. I don't need to waste time seeking him out. He is a minor worry. I will not spend all of my precious time on him the way old Voldie and my Father did."

"The Dark Lord is right." Devereux said as he leant forward. "The world is a big place, and it is ours for the taking."

Blaise and Theo nodded their heads in agreement.

"Now the first thing I would like to bring to the table-." Draco started to speak but was interrupted by someone standing from their seat at the end of the table. Draco glared at the man "Mr Parkinson, call me psychic but it looks to me like you have something you would like to say." Draco said with a smirk and the man's face grew angry.

"Pansy told me what you did, your father and I ha-."

"I will not be marrying your vile daughter. I don't care what deal you had with him, he's dead. You will meet the same fate if you don't sit back down and shut your mouth." Draco spat.

Pansy's dad slowly and reluctantly sat back down into his chair and glared at Draco.

"As I was saying.." Draco continued. "I propose we move headquarters elsewhere. This is my home and should be treated as such." He said.

"Where do you suppose?" Devereux asked curiously.

"The Parkinson Manor." He said simply and looked at Mr Parkinson as he once again rose from his seat. "If you have any objections Parkinson I will have you thrown into your own dungeons. Your wife and daughter can then cater to my followers in your absence." Draco warned before he could utter another word. He once again fell back into his chair in defeat. "You have three days to prepare for us Parkinson, you don't want to disappoint me again; you're on thin ice as it is."

Draco sat back in his chair and looked to Devereux. "The French Ministry, do we have someone inside yet?"

"Yes, we have a man who has already worked his way up to deputy." Devereux explained proudly. "I heard the Minister of Magic in France has a thing for young blondes, so I have a little minx lined up to seduce him when the time is right. We will then expose him for the sleaze that he really is and he will have no choice but to stand down, leaving us in charge."

Draco was impressed. Devereux was a useful follower and could literally do anything that was asked of him with honour and skill. "Very good, Devereux" Draco said with a nod.

Just then the doors to the dining room swung open with a clap and in walked Narcissa Malfoy in all her elegance. She had a murderous look in her eyes but her face was composed.

Draco looked to his followers. "I think that's enough for today, you are dismissed." He said as he gestured to the door with his hand. "Devereux, Theo, Blaise, I will find the three of you later. They got up and left with the others without saying a word, leaving Draco alone in the dining room with his mother.

"It's so good to see you mother, it's been too long." He said sweetly as he walked over to her with his arms open.

"Don't you even try to touch me, Draco." She said sharply and he stopped walking.

"I know you're angry, but you need to understand-."

"No, Draco. I understand perfectly. You murdered your own father, my husband, for _power_! You disgust me!" She said as she watched the hurt spread across her sons face.

"How could you think that of me? I did it for us!" He snapped in defence.

"You weren't thinking of me when you took my husband's life! She snapped back.

"Do you think he was thinking of you when he was bringing whores home every night? When he was raping the prisoners? Why do you think he sent you off to Hogwarts? So he could be rid of you!" Draco tried to explain but Narcissa just slapped him hard across the face.

Draco looked sadly into his Mothers teary eyes. "Please believe me; he was using his power for all the wrong things. He was sloppy and if I hadn't have killed him we would all have been dead within a year. I couldn't let him do that."

Narcissa looked away from Draco and moved over to the nearest chair and collapsed into it. The grace she prided herself on was nowhere to be seen.

"He was going to have me kill someone very important to me." He said in a desperate attempt to make her understand as he sat in the chair next to hers.

"I didn't know you cared about anyone but yourself." She snapped but didn't look at him; she just stared into the space in front of her.

"I care about you, Mother. I'm clearing the Death Eaters out of our home like you've always wanted."

"Hogwarts is my home." She said simply uninterested.

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Narcissa knew Draco had probably done the right thing for them by killing Lucius but she couldn't accept that her own son had murdered the man she loved. Lucius had lost his mind and she feared Draco would suffer the same. She knew she could not change their fate but she wished she could. Her family were hell-bent on achieving the greatest level of power and she could do nothing to stop them.

"Draco, you're my son, I will always love you no matter what." She said truthfully. She loved Draco with every fibre of her body and had always just wanted the best for him. She had spent countless nights crying herself to sleep over how Lucius treated him when he was growing up. She had watched her husband torture her son mentally and physically to prepare him for this day. When she really thought about it, she wasn't really sad that Lucius was dead. She was just sad that her Draco was capable of killing him. Not surprised though, just sad.

"I love you too, and I will always protect the people I love." He said sincerely. Narcissa was quite happy to hear Draco talk of love. It was always something that was classed as a weakness by Lucius. It gave her hope.

"I hear you've terminated your engagement to the Parkinson girl." She said simply as she changed the subject.

"Nothing gets past you." He said with a small smile. "You've heard correctly, I will not be marrying her."

Narcissa breathed a small sigh of relief. "Good, that retched girl was never good enough for my Draco."

Draco laughed and placed his mother's hand in his. "I knew you would understand."

She squeezed his hand lightly and looked into his eyes. "However, you do know you have to marry before your twentieth birthday, its pure-blood tradition and the wizarding community would look down on you if you did not. You're a public figure and you must comply with such rules." She advised.

"I know" He said as he nodded his head. "I have a woman in mind. You will love her Mother, she was the brightest witch in the whole school, and she's beautiful and classy." Draco said proudly.

"That sounds more like the kind of woman I would like to see my son settle down with." She said with a warm smile. "Which family is she from?" Narcissa asked eagerly. Narcissa wasn't evil like her Husband had been, but her blood prejudice ran deep.

"She is from the Prewett family." He said wearily.

Narcissa nodded as she considered Draco's answer. "The Weasley girl?" She asked.

Draco shook his head. "No, no. It's the Weasley girl's cousin on her mother's side." He explained as he watched the cogs turning in his mother's head. "Give me time, then you can meet her for yourself and she will answer all of your questions."

Narcissa nodded her head and looked lovingly at her son. "I would give my life to see you happy Draco; I hope this girl will be the one to make an honest man out of you."

* * *

Hermione sat on the bed of the room she had been cooped up in for the last two days. The only people she had seen were Devereux and Zabini when they brought her food. She leant down and touched the snake around her ankle, she knew Draco could tell where she was because of it and she wanted nothing more than to rip it off. Hell, she'd even considered hacking her foot off with the blunt dinner knife she'd been given the night before with dinner but finally decided against it as it probably wouldn't aid her escape.

She got up and moved into the small bathroom she had attached to her room, which she hated, it just made her feel more trapped. She had been running the bath for a while now and thought it was about the right depth and temperature. She loved having a bath and spent most of her time in there while she was captive in this little room. The first time she'd ran a bath she had been surprised to find little bottles and soap and bubble-bath but was not disappointed.

She stepped in and sunk herself into its heavenly warmth and closed her eyes. After about five minutes she felt a strange presence so flicked her eyes open. She was horrified when she saw Draco sitting on the edge of her bathtub watching her, even though the bubbles covered the areas she didn't want him to see.

She was just about to let out a scream when his hand clamped over her mouth and his eyes burnt into hers. "Don't make this more difficult than it has to be." He warned as his dark grey eyes pierced right into her soul through hers. She gave a little nod of her head and he slowly removed his hand.

She had dreaded the moment she would have to see him again, after everything that had happened during their last encounter. She was actually happy for the first time for being trapped in this room away from him as she looked up at his stone cold expression. She never knew what he was thinking, or what he would do, or whether he would be cruel or kind.

"You've been in this room far too long and I'm sorry I've neglected you." He said sadly. "I've had a lot of things to take care of but now I'm all yours." He said with a smile and she just stared up at him baffled for a moment. "Would you accompany me for a walk around the gardens?"

"I don't think that would be an appropriate thing for a man in your position to do. I'm a prisoner so it would be wrong of you to take me for strolls." She said ever so politely but it was all false.

"I thought you'd like the fresh air to be honest but if you don't want to that's just fine, how about a trip to the library?" He asked and he noticed her eyes light up at the suggestion. "I'll take that as a yes." He said smugly as he stood up and walked to the door. "Hurry and get yourself ready, you have fresh clothes on the bed and I will be waiting for you outside." He instructed and then closed the door behind him.

She went into her bedroom wrapped in a towel to find a lovely cream dress on her bed not too different from the black one she'd been given before, plain but pretty. She got dressed and headed for the door when she had a sudden change of heart. What the hell am I doing? She thought as she came to a standstill.

She turned away from the door and sat back onto her bed to think about the situation.

Her captor was offering her luxuries, what was the cost? She thought as she stared at the plain white wall in front of her. Being put in this nicer room was suspicious enough. She remembered Draco saying her living conditions would improve if she learned to behave. Well she would be damned if she was going to go along with his little scheme, then she thought of her escape plan which was getting nowhere at all being stuck in this room.

The door opened to reveal a very impatient looking Draco "I'm not standing here for my health." He said as he tapped his foot against the floor looking at Hermione sitting on her bed, in no rush to join him for a visit to the Manors library. "I thought you would be grateful to be getting out." He said with irritation.

She looked at him and silently made her decision; she would go to the library and learn everything she could about the Manor, from books or from simply walking the halls. If she could just keep Malfoy half happy with her behaviour he would let his guard down, and that's when she would escape, and kill him in the process if she could.

She nodded her head slightly, stood up and walked silently over to him. He offered his arm and she took it, they then started to make their way through the Manor.

"I think you'll like my library, it's a restricted area in the house so you won't bump into any unfriendly people." He told her as he guided her by the arm through the majestic hallways, the sunlight was pouring through the floor to ceiling windows which looked out to the stunning acres of gardens around the Manor.

Hermione thought his statement was quite amusing considering he was the most unfriendly person she had ever met and he was the one escorting her there. Weirdly she just appreciated not being dragged through the house for a change as she strolled beside him looking through the windows at the beautiful frosty gardens, she would actually enjoy some air, maybe she could ask if they could go out after the library.

What the hell was she thinking!? She wouldn't be asking this monster for anything. She was a prisoner, she reminded herself.

"You're quiet; you've barely spoken to me at all today." He said as he looked down over her dreamy, distant form.

She snapped out of thought and nodded gently in acknowledgement.

"You've normally bitten off my head, chewed it up and spat it out by now." He joked and she gave him a fake half-smile as they came to a standstill. He was being nice to her but she knew it wasn't genuine so she wouldn't be falling for it, not after everything he'd done to her and the people she loved.

He looked at her and studied her movements carefully trying to work her out. He didn't like how quiet she was being, the fire she'd had days earlier had faded.

"We're here." He said as he opened the door and lead her inside.

Hermione looked around in amazement at the shelves packed full with books. The Malfoy library was almost as big as the one at Hogwarts and Hermione couldn't help herself as she sprang towards the nearest bookshelf and started analysing the spines of all the different coloured books. Each one she wanted to pick up and delve into.

Draco watched her eagerly looking up all of his books with her bright eyes and he smiled. Her face simply glowed and it made Draco happy to see her happy. He hadn't had anything that made him truly happy for a long time. Now he had Hermione and he couldn't let her go, he needed her with him, _always._

"I recommend the one you're looking at right now." He said and she looked at him strangely wondering how he could know which one she had been inspecting.

"I bet you've not read any of these books." She said with her eyebrows raised.

He laughed lightly. "I've read every single one." He said proudly and laughed again at the shocked look that covered her face.

"How did you know which one I was looking at?" She asked.

"I just knew which one of those books would catch your attention, and I do very much recommend it." He said with a kind smile. " _Enchanted Encounters_ , it's one of my favourites." He explained.

He really did know which one she was looking at. She turned around and pulled the book from the shelf carefully.

"I'll take you to my favourite reading spot." He said as he gestured for her to take his arm again.

Out of all the torture and heartache Malfoy had put her though this had to be the worst, he wasn't just being kind to her, he was acting like he really cared for her and it was freaking her out. All she had ever seen from him was harassment and cruelty, especially towards her until she was brought here. She had seen so many sides of him she never knew he had. She thought she'd had him figured out since the moment she met him when she was eleven years old but it turned out she was deadly wrong. Draco was the most complicated person she had ever met in her entire life.

He led her to a plush couch in front of a roaring fire, next to the couch was a very large window which looked out onto a beautiful lake, the sun glistened onto the gentle ripples of the water perfectly. Hermione could tell why it was his favourite spot as she sank down into the unbelievably soft cushions of the couch.

She opened the book and started to read. Draco sat beside her as though he was reading along but for once in his life he wasn't interested in the book. He looked at Hermione as she moved her eyes across each line excitedly taking in every piece of information she could. She really did love to read, just like he did.

"You can come here any time you like." He said kindly and she dragged her attention away from the book to look at him in confusion. He loved the way she tensed her eyebrows in frustration when she didn't understand something.

"How would that be possible when I'm locked in a room?" She asked plainly.

"When you're allowed to freely roam the Manor, which I believe should be very soon, you can come here whenever you like. No one will ever disturb you as my mother and I are the only people authorised to enter this room." He explained but Hermione still didn't seem to understand as the confused look was still plastered over her face.

"Aren't you worried I'll escape?" She asked and raised her eyebrows.

"Not in the slightest." He said very simply.

She tensed her eyebrows once again as she wasn't happy with his answer, it was like he underestimated her ability to do so.

Draco could tell what she was thinking by the look on her face and gestured to the snake around her ankle. "I always know where you are, dear." He said and grinned. "Not to mention, since Voldemort's death not a single person has escaped from this Manor, and believe me many have tried." He said with a tone of warning in case she ever thought about trying such a stupid thing herself.

She just stared up at him with her big eyes and didn't say anything. He could get lost in her eyes.

Draco took out his pocket watch and looked at it with irritation before shoving it back into his pocket. "There's somewhere I need to be." He said in annoyance. "Take this book back with you, I'll see you as soon as I can and I would like to hear what you think of it." He said as he put his hand on top of hers so they were both resting on the book.

He stood up and called for Trixie the house elf and asked her to take Hermione back to her room.

"Have a pleasant evening, Hermione." He said with a gentle nod of his head before she disappeared from the room with a loud clap.


	11. Chapter 11

Harry sat in front of Dobby's grave with his legs crossed as the cold winter sea air bit at his face. It had been five days since Hermione, Ginny and Neville had gone missing and he had practically gone insane with worry. He hated to admit it but deep down he was sure they would all be dead.

He could tell Ron and Luna were torn up about it too but he couldn't help but wallow in self-pity. He had lost the two girls he loved more than anything in the world; he'd lost everyone he loved in this twisted war against evil.

He looked out across the beautiful beach as dark rain clouds swirled in the distance above the grey sea. If they were alive they would be here by now, he thought sadly.

He thought about how he had treated Ginny the last time he saw her, he had been vicious towards her and it was the first time he'd seen her in months, and probably the last time he'd ever see her again. Guilt ripped through him even harder when he thought about how he and Hermione had been together that night.

He was in love with Hermione and it took him losing her to fully admit it to himself. The night before they had been separated he was about to kiss her, like he had wanted to for what felt like a lifetime. She looked as though she would have kissed him back but he panicked and pulled back, he didn't want to take advantage of her vulnerable state but he wished with every fibre of his body that he had gone through with it, he might never get another chance and the thought felt like it was trying to rip his heart straight out of his chest.

Harry thought it had been too long, he wanted to plan a rescue mission but Ron had stopped him, even though he too wanted the safety of his sister, cousin and friend, he thought they should get more information first. When Harry had told Ron about Hermione being his cousin he disappeared into his room for a whole day before Harry saw him again. He didn't even come out for food! When they saw him again he was exactly the same as he had been before he heard the news as though it hadn't changed anything at all.

Harry was frustrated with Ron's suggestion of holding back for a while before they attacked Malfoy Manor, it wasn't like they were getting any information stuck in this cottage. Every second they waited, the love of his life was more likely to be dead.

He looked over the beach for a moment in an attempt to clear his head when he saw a black lump of a figure lying face down in the sand. He jolted up as pure dread set into his entire body and he began to run towards the figure.

As he grew closer he could tell the body wasn't a woman and the relief that swept over him almost caused him to fall over as he sprinted.

He reached the lifeless form and could see his long, platinum hair blowing in the rough winds. Harry was sure he knew who it was so approached the body with caution. He pulled out his wand and gave the body a hard prod with the end of it but the figure didn't move.

He then gave it a swish and flick and the body flipped around to lie on its back. The wind blew the hair out of Lucius' lifeless face as he stared blankly into the sky above him.

Harry jumped back at the sight in disgust. What the hell was Lucius' dead body doing on this beach? He searched the body carefully but Lucius had been stripped of all his possessions. Harry assumed he had been killed with the killing curse but who would have performed it? Harry felt a pang of hope as he thought the only people who would kill this man in this location had to be on his side. It hadn't been any of those in the cottage so could it be someone else from the Order? Or maybe even Hermione, or Ginny?

Harry dismissed the thought of it being Hermione who killed Lucius, he knew she wasn't capable of killing someone; she was too pure, too kind.

Even while staring at one of his enemies dead body he still managed to end up thinking about how amazing she was, he just couldn't switch it off no matter how hard he tried, he needed her back and he would do anything and kill anyone to get her.

He decided to levitate Lucius body into the sea so the tide could take him to his final resting place. Lucius may have been a monster in his own right, but was still human after all. If only Harry knew the real truth, of how he had tortured the woman he loved, he probably would have just left him there to rot.

He started to make his way back to the cottage as small droplets of rain started to fall from the sky. He was going to push for this rescue and he would either get them back or die trying, because the way things were right now, life wasn't worth living anyway.

* * *

Hermione sat on her small single bed with a fluffy blanket wrapped around her shoulders reading the book Draco had given her. It surprised her that this book was one of his favourites; it was far too deep for someone like him. It was a story about love and second chances, it was beautifully written and Hermione felt the emotions portrayed on every page. She had almost read the whole thing in the one night she'd had it and she'd only managed a few hours of sleep. It was now nearing mid-day, she thought.

There was a soft knock on her door and Draco stepped through, he looked as though he hadn't had any sleep either but still looked incredibly handsome without the twisted look of anger on his face. Hermione placed the book down onto her lap as he walked over and sat down on the bed next to her.

"You're almost finished" He said with surprise.

She just looked down at the book and nodded her head.

"My followers are leaving today. This Manor is no longer going to be used as headquarters."

Hermione looked up to him worriedly. "Will the prisoners be moved?" She asked. She hated being captive here and wanted nothing more than to be back with Harry and the rest of her friends, to be free, but as far as Hermione was concerned she didn't have it too bad here considering she was a prisoner. If she was relocated she could end up in a much worse situation.

"Some of them will be, but I will keep those who are of use to me." He explained.

"My friends?" She asked.

"All extremely useful." He assured her.

"What about Cecil?" She asked with concern.

Draco looked at her in confusion; he didn't have the slightest clue who Cecil was.

"The muggle-born carpenter" She explained further as she noticed he didn't know who she was talking about.

"He is of no real use to me" Draco dismissed. "I thought you might be more concerned about whether or not you would be staying here."

She shook her head but it was a lie, she was worried. "Cecil could be of great use to you if you would give him the chance, he's a very talented man." She continued, she barely knew him really but she couldn't stand the thought of him being in a worse situation than this one.

He looked at her curiously. "Do you want him to stay?" He asked gently.

She nodded slightly as she looked at the book in her lap.

"Then he will stay." He said and she looked up at his face happily "If you will join me for dinner this evening." He finished and her face dropped into a look of confusion. Was he really blackmailing her to join him for dinner? She thought back to what Devereux had said about Draco using her friends against her, she never thought this was what he could mean by that. She was his prisoner, why on earth did he want to sit down and eat a meal with her? "You can tell me what you thought of the book." He said gently and placed his hand on her shoulder.

She knew she didn't really have a choice; she liked nice Draco much more than the evil one even though it unnerved her to no end. She nodded her head reluctantly as if to say yes. She knew she'd be staying here at Malfoy Manor if she would be joining Draco for dinner that evening and she was oddly happy about it. Since Draco had been being kind to her, she had felt strangely safe but she hated herself for it.

"Very good." He said happily and squeezed her shoulder slightly. "I'll have arrangements made. I will also send you more appropriate attire." He stood up and moved towards the door, just before he opened it he looked at back at Hermione who was now staring blankly at the book in her lap again. She would be happy here with him one day, he reassured himself. Then he too could be happy.

She looked up at him and when she caught him staring at her she quickly and shyly turned her head away in embarrassment which made Draco smile. He thought every single thing about her was absolutely perfect, she will be his and he will be hers and it would be perfect. Draco would not let anyone stand in his way, he would get what he wanted, he always did.

With that thought he left the room and left Hermione sitting on her bed riddled with confusion. She would find out why he was acting this way towards her tonight, she had to.

Hours passed, Hermione had long since finished the book and had started reading it from the beginning again. There was a knock on the door and Devereux stepped in holding a folded item of clothing with a pair of beautiful, black velvet, heeled shoes, they had a large dark green stone on each of them.

Devereux handed them to Hermione and smiled. "If I were you, I'd make yourself look as stunning as you possibly can for our Lord. You're a very lucky woman." He said with a grin.

"Our Lord? _Our_ Lord?" She hissed at him with disgust. "He isn't my _Lord_ and he never will be. I'm not lucky because I'm forced to spend time with that monster, and you clearly have no respect for yourself if you really follow him." She spat, she didn't really know why what he'd said had angered her so much but she was furious.

He looked at her for a few seconds as she breathed heavily in anger. "What makes me any different to you, Hermione?" He asked her softly.

"W-what?" She asked as she narrowed her eyes.

"You followed Dumbledore, correct?" He asked.

"Yes bu-."

"And you now follow Harry Potter in his place, correct?" He asked not really caring to hear her answer.

"Well, I guess I do but Dumbledore was nothing like Voldemort, and Harry is nothing like Draco." She stated angrily.

"Oh really?" He asked as he raised his eyebrows and took a step closer to her. She wasn't frightened of Devereux; in fact he'd actually been quite decent towards her. "A wise wizard once told me that there is no such thing as good and evil, Hermione, only power." He explained. "Dumbledore was on the same quest for power as Voldemort, he just had a different approach. Draco, just like Harry has stepped into the place of his old master to continue the fight. So please, tell me what makes me and you so different?"

She didn't actually have an answer; she had never looked at things that way before. Was she just as bad as they were?

Devereux turned to leave. "Please, wait!" She called after him as he reached the door; he turned to look at her again. "I'm sorry for snapping at you, it's not your fault." She said.

He nodded. "If you want my advice I would be on your best behaviour tonight, it could lead to great things for you, my dear." He said as he looked seriously into her eyes. "It seems the Dark Lord has quite the soft spot for you." He said with a smile and then left the room.

Soft spot? Hermione thought in horror. Is that why he was being like this to her? He actually liked her? That just couldn't be true. This had to be one big plan to break through her walls and get her to talk or join their side. She wouldn't allow that to happen.

Hermione slipped on the elegant, black, knee-length dress and almost dislocated her arms trying to zip up the back. The hem of the dress fell beautifully around her knees and the V-neck made her neck and collar-bones look lovely. It again was a very simple dress but elegant and hugged her perfectly in all the right places before hanging loosely around her legs. Who was choosing these dresses? Whoever it was seemed to know her body better than she did. It surely could not have been Draco.

She sat down on the bed and slipped the shoes onto her feet, again a perfect fit; the green stones where deep in colour but were surely not emeralds or anything valuable like that, they were a pair of shoes it would be obscured. Then she remembered that Draco probably had more money than sense and realized that it was probably the norm in his world.

She sat on the bed and waited, she had not been given a time to be ready, not that she had any way of telling the time anyway. It was a luxury she had taken for granted. Just then Devereux stepped through the door, as if he knew she was ready. He looked her up and down with wide eyes. "You're going to knock him dead!" He said with a smile.

"I sincerely hope so" She said sinisterly as she looked into his eyes with a bit of a crazed look in hers.

"If you want to get through this evening unharmed Miss Prewett I would drop that attitude." He warned.

"Why are you calling me that?" She asked in annoyance as she narrowed her eyes.

"The Dark Lord has forbid us to call you anything else, _Miss Prewett._ "

"Well your _Lord_ doesn't get to decide what people call me." She snapped.

"Listen to me, Hermione; you are being given a chance to do this the easy way. I strongly advise you take it." He said seriously.

"Do what the easy way!?" She hissed nastily.

He shook his head in disappointment. "All I'm going to say is - you won't like the hard way. Now not another word or you'll get us both into trouble." He said and gestured for her to take his arm.

She walked over to him and took it reluctantly and he guided her though the manor to the dining room.

"What does Malfoy want with me?" She asked as they walked.

"It's really none of my business." He replied with a smile.

They reached the dining hall and Devereux stopped and gave Hermione a small peck on her knuckles. "He's just through there." He said and gestured towards the door. "Be nice." he warned and then stepped away and took his position to guard the door.

* * *

Draco sat at the head of the large dining room table; he could tell she was just on the other side of the door when he concentrated hard enough due to the charm of the silver snake.

The door clicked open and she stepped through the door and closed it gently behind her. Draco looked at the elegant form that was Hermione in delight. She was simply stunning from head to toe. She stood awkwardly by the door as he looked her up and down approvingly. The heels of her shoes made her legs look extravagant, and the silver snake, _His_ silver snake was wrapped beautifully around her delicate little ankle. The top of her dress had subtle embroided dark green swirls that the light of the dining room reflected off perfectly making the upper part of the dress look more a dark shade of green rather than black, just as Draco hoped it would.

"Come, sit." He said as he stood up and pulled her chair out. Hers was the only other chair at the unbelievably large dining table and it sat to the side of Draco's. She walked hesitantly over to the chair and lowered herself into it and he gave her a little push closer to the table before he took his seat again. "It's so nice to finally have a night off." He said as he relaxed and poured Hermione a glass of wine. It was all very bizarre to her; it was like she was on a date with this man, not his prisoner, she thought as she studied him closely.

"You're not going quiet one me again, Hermione." He said calmly but his voice held a hint of warning.

"I don't really know exactly what it is you want me to say." She said more nastily than she was supposed to and her negative attitude didn't go unnoticed by Draco. She could tell as he tensed his face and frowned at her. He picked up his glass and sipped his wine before gently placing it back on the table. Hermione looked away and into the flame of the candle directly in front of her.

"Look at me." He demanded but she just ignored him and continued to stare at the dancing flame. He stared at her impatiently and clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "Don't make me ask you again." He warned but she didn't look away from the candle. Hermione heard his chair scrape backwards across the wooden floor as Draco stood up, leant across the table and grabbed her chin forcibly in his hand and tried to pull her face into his direction but she fought against him. "Why must you always fight me?!" He asked with frustration heavy in his voice as he won the mini-battle they were having and dragged Hermione's gaze to meet his.

"I'm your prisoner!" She spat as she burned her hateful eyes into his dark grey ones, she knew when his eyes lost their light that he was angry but this time he didn't show it. He loosened his grip on her chin and stroked her jaw lightly with his thumb which made Hermione uncomfortable.

"You're only my prisoner for as long as you make it that way." He said and then he moved his hand from her face, pulled his chair back in and sat down to take another sip of wine. She looked at him with her beautiful confused face and he leant forward on his elbows. "I don't want us to be enemies, Hermione." He said, almost sincerely.

"Do you really expect me to believe that?" She asked with raised eyebrows.

"Well then let me prove it." He suggested and she narrowed her eyes at him like she was trying to read his mind. "Here, close your eyes." He said and then stood up. She shook her head immediately in objection and leant in the direction away from Draco as she was suddenly uncomfortable with how close he was. "We don't have to do this the hard way, Hermione." He said and she remembered what Devereux had said to her - _'You won't like the hard way.'_

She sat normally in her chair again and slowly closed her eyes, leaving herself completely vulnerable.

He stood behind her, pulled a gorgeous necklace from the pocket of his grey trousers and draped it around her lovely neck and clasped it shut at the back before pulling her hair from underneath it and settling her beautiful curls around her shoulders. He moved back to his seat as Hermione opened her eyes and looked down at his gift.

The necklace was actually the most stunning piece of jewellery she had ever seen. It had eight simply beautiful emeralds and all of them were framed majestically with flawless diamonds. The pendant of the necklace and the biggest stone of them all was in a teardrop shape a little like her father's necklace but bigger, it also hung a little lower than her ruby one as the chain was longer, she could probably lift this one over her head to take it off without undoing it if she wanted to.

She looked at it in amazement and then noticed her dress was all of a sudden matching the colour of the stones on her new necklace, and the stones on her shoes which made her angry, why was he dressing her in the Slytherin colour? She looked up at him to find him studying her reaction.

Draco looked at his newest Horcrux which was now hanging around _his_ Hermione's beautiful, delicate neck and falling roughly by her heart. A piece of his soul would now be with her always, and she would never be able to remove it. Like the silver snake it was charmed so only he could take it off.

"What do you want with me, Malfoy?" She spat and he closed his eyes and tensed up at her calling him by his family name, _again._

"Don't- call- me- that." He said very slowly and clearly to make sure she understood. "It's Draco, to you. I don't want to have to tell you again, I know you're not stupid." He hissed and turned once again to his wine.

"Just answer my question." She said bravely and he flicked his angry eyes up to meet hers.

"You really want to know?" He asked and she nodded her head. "I want you to be mine and no one else's. I want you to spend the rest of your life here with me. I want to touch, taste and know every single part of you, and for you to be loyal to me only." He admitted bluntly. Her mouth had dropped open in shock without her even being aware of it happening. She was speechless; she just stared at him in disbelief. "I want you to be my wife, Hermione." He said as he grabbed her hand and held it gently.

Her eyes were wide and her face was pretty much expressionless. He was insane, she'd always suspected it, he was clearly unhinged but now she knew he had really lost his mind. She just stared at him like a fool for a few moments as she thought.

She suddenly snapped back to reality and snatched her hand away from his quickly and looked at him with disgust. Although she was still speechless and couldn't get any words out Draco had read her reaction and wasn't happy. "Say something." He demanded seriously as his dark eyes pierced through her.

"I, I-I will _never_ marry a h-heartless monster like you!" She shouted breathlessly as she stood up out of her chair in an attempt to leave. He grabbed her by the arm and spun her around to fire a deadly look at her.

"You don't want to do this." He warned but she just yanked her arm out of his grip and made her way to the door. Just as she put her hand on the handle to open it Draco's glass smashed off the wall next to her and shattered into tiny pieces, erupting like a firework made from glass and wine. Some of the shards grazed Hermione's arm and face as they flew in every direction and droplets of wine splashed all over her. "Don't you take another step!" Draco shouted venomously; his rough words echoed around the room and into Hermione's ears. She moved her hand up from the door handle to touch her cheek where she thought the glass had caught her and sure enough when she pulled her fingers back into her eye-line they were covered in blood.

She turned around to face him with hate in her eyes and blood running down the side of her face. He saw she was bleeding and rushed over to her immediately in a panic. "Let me heal you." He said as he pulled out his wand and frantically tried to cast the spell but she wouldn't stay still. Draco reluctantly gave up, put his wand away, grabbed her by her arms and slammed her backwards into the door out of frustration. Her body instantly ached from the impact. "You're either with me, or you're against me." He hissed nastily as she struggled beneath his strong grip.

"I've always been against you, and a necklace isn't about to change that!" She shouted and continued to struggle. He pulled her away from the door sharply just to slam her back into it again.

He leant in close to her face as he held her wrists and pushed his body into hers. He planted a small kiss on her cheek, and then another a little closer to her mouth, he was just about to kiss her lips but she ripped her face away. He then held both of her wrists in one, monstrous, effortless grasp held them up above her head as she struggled helplessly against him.

"What the hell are you doing?" She asked desperately as she fought back the tears threatening to escape from her eyes as she looked to the side, away from him.

"You said the necklace wasn't enough and you were right, so I'm going to give you another reason." He whispered softly, directly into her ear, his warm breath sent tingles down Hermione's spine as it brushed against her skin. He grabbed her chin in his now free hand and forced her to look directly at him and before she knew it his warm lips were moving against hers, she tried to pull away but she couldn't move. She hated herself for it but there was something about him that was pulling her in.

He pulled out of the kiss and looked into her watery eyes. "Kiss me back." He whispered and then leant back in for a second time and to his utter amazement she shyly started to kiss him back. Draco felt sparks run through his entire body; he never knew just how much he really wanted to have her until this moment. He had kissed plenty of girls in the past but none of them made him feel like this.

Hermione didn't know what she was doing, her mind was screaming at her to stop but she couldn't. She didn't know if she was doing it out of fear, shock or because at this moment it was exactly what she wanted. Maybe Draco was the sane one, and it was her who had actually lost her mind.

He let go of her wrists and put his arm around her waist and pulled her close to his body and hooked the other around the back of her neck. He deepened the kiss and she returned the favour. Just as she reached out her hand to touch him back she was slapped around the face by reality and pulled away sharply and started to sob. He let go of her in shock and she stumbled backwards before her back was again touching the door. She slid down onto the floor and put her face into her knees as she cried, out of confusion, guilt, and in fear of no longer being in control of actions. She hated herself at this moment more than she hated him.

Draco stood back, extremely satisfied with himself. "There's no need to be ashamed, Princess." He said gently and she shot her teary, angry eyes up to meet his.

"Of course I'm ashamed! I'm not your _princess!_ I'm your _prisoner!_ I _hate_ you, I will never feel anything but hate for you and It's about time you saw that! _"_

He stared at her as he breathed heavily in anger trying to control his temper but failing. "After everything I've done for you and you still treat me this way you ungrateful little bitch!" He spat and dragged her to her feet. "You think you're a prisoner? Then I guess I should start treating you like one." He said venomously through his gritted teeth. "Let me know when you change your mind." He said and then yanked the door open and Devereux almost fell through onto both of them, he shot himself up and stood straight and then he bowed.

"I-I erm, heard a commotion, I was just on my way in to make sure you were alright, My Lord." He lied hoping Draco wouldn't know he'd been listening in on everything that had just happened.

"Well then you'd be a little late Devereux and I'd already be dead." He said simply seeing straight through his excuse but he chose to ignore it, he had bigger things to think about. "Take Miss Prewett here back to the dungeons. The split cell perhaps?" He said and then threw a trembling Hermione into Devereux' arms before slamming the door shut behind them both.

Draco looked down at Hermione's blood that had stained his otherwise flawless white sleeve and smiled. She would be his, it was only a matter of time and now he knew it for definite. He smugly walked over to the table and picked up Hermione's untouched glass of wine and took a large gulp. She just needed a little bit of persuasion and she would fall helplessly into his arms and he knew exactly what he needed to do to make that happen.


	12. Chapter 12

Devereux put his arm around Hermione and led her away from the dining room as she shook and sobbed uncontrollably, when he thought they'd made enough distance not to be overheard he grabbed her by the arms and pulled her around to look at him.

He looked sadly at the blood mixed tears on her face and sighed deeply. "I really hoped you would take the easy way. Are you alright?" He asked sadly.

She nodded her head with a sniff and wiped her wrist under her eye in an attempt to mop up some of the tears only to pull it away to see blood. She couldn't believe he'd thrown his glass across the room the way he did. She couldn't believe the things he had said to her, the things he wanted. She couldn't believe the way he had kissed her, the way she had kissed him back. She searched for words, something to say, but she couldn't. She could barely breathe.

Devereux didn't push her any further; he just gently led her to the dungeons. They walked down the stairs and Hermione was instantly hit by the cold which sunk straight into her bones. He unlocked one of the doors and took her inside. It was a large cell that had been split into two with sturdy metal bars. There wasn't anyone in the other half from what Hermione could tell.

"There are blankets in the corner." He said before he turned and left her alone.

She just fell to her knees and put her face into her hands. What the hell had she been thinking! She was supposed to be the brightest witch of her age so how could she have been so _stupid?_ Ever since she was brought here she had been so weak, so _pathetic._ She remembered the necklace he'd given her and tried to take it off but the clasp wouldn't budge. She started to get frustrated and tried to lift it over her head but it wouldn't go passed her chin. She pulled and she tugged as hard as she could to break it off but all she ended up doing was scratching and bruising her neck and chest.

She was haunted by her own thoughts for what felt like hours. She sat in the corner of the cell, wrapped in her blankets staring down blankly at the damned necklace still sitting pretty around her neck, still completely unaware that it contained a piece of Draco's soul.

The door on the other half of the cell opened and Hermione strained her eyes to see what was happening. She saw Zabini and Devereux step through the door carrying a large chest. They placed the chest against the back wall of the other half of the cell and turned to leave. Just before Devereux left Hermione jumped up from the corner and ran over to the bars on her shaky legs. "Devereux!" She whispered as loud as she could. "What's happening?" She asked as he turned to look at her, he looked back towards the door to see if Blaise had gone and then turned to her again.

"You'd better drop the attitude girl, before I curse you!" He threatened loudly as he walked towards the bars. He leant close and whispered. "Stay away from the bars, if you need it to stop you need simply call for Draco." He said quietly with concern in his eyes before giving her a sympathetic smile and turning to leave before she could ask any questions. She stepped away from the bars and inspected them to see what the problem was but couldn't see anything noticeable.

An hour passed and she had returned to her corner. It must have been early hours of the morning. She was just falling to sleep when the door to the other half of the cell was swung open. Neville was thrown through and it slammed shut behind him. He crashed onto the cold, stone floor but jumped up immediately and ran towards the door in a fit of rage, kicking and cursing. He gave up after a while and slid down onto the floor in defeat.

"Neville?" She whispered as she crawled a little closer to the bars. "Neville, it's me" She whispered again but his time a little louder.

She saw his eyes glimmering in the candlelight as he flicked them up to look at her, he looked completely withdrawn, and she couldn't tell if the dark circles beneath his eyes were shadows or exhaustion.

"You look like shit. Did Malfoy get bored of you or something?" He spat and the words actually took her back. How could Neville be so unkind to her? He'd always been so soft and gentle. He was one of the nicest people she'd ever known.

"Please, Neville, I didn't betray you, Harry or The Order I promise." She quietly pleaded. "He would've killed you; he would've killed every single one of us." She tried to explain but he just shook his head as if trying not to hear her words. "Please Neville I know how it looks; there was never anything between me and Draco."

"Oh, _Draco_ is it?" He mocked. "Sure sounds like there's nothing going on between you." He said sarcastically. "Nice necklace." He spat as he looked at the piece of jewellery and then back to her in disgust.

She looked at him as hurt blanketed her face, she didn't know what to say. He was right and she deserved nothing but his hatred.

All of a sudden the chest in Neville's half of the cell started to shake, as if something was trying to escape from inside it. The shaking got more and more intense and Hermione and Neville stared at it in scared silence. It had just started to thud against the floor when the lid flew open to reveal the monster inside.

Neville watched in horror as he saw Luna step out of the box and walk slowly across the cell to stand in front of him. The colour started to drain out of her face and the whites of her eyes started to turn pink. She looked sad and withdrawn. Neville was frozen to his spot on the floor by the door with his eyes wide with shock.

"You left me Neville." Said Luna sadly, she didn't sound herself. Neville shook his head frantically as he fought the tears building in his eyes. "You left me and now I'm dying, because of you."

Her skin was as pale as snow and her nose had now started to bleed. She stared a deathly look at Neville with her now almost red eyes. A tear of blood fell from her eye and ran down her face before she collapsed to the floor.

Neville was just about to get up to aid her but Hermione shouted in a desperate attempt to stop him "Don't touch it Neville! It's a Boggart!"

He stalled and looked at Luna's bleeding form on the floor of the cell, the life draining from her."I can't just leave her there to die!" He shouted viciously at Hermione as he got closer to the hunched up body on the floor.

"Neville, it's not Luna!" She shouted urgently and approached the bars to get closer. Just when she was in touching distance she was struck with a pain that felt like a mild cruciatus curse. The closer she got the more intense it became and she jerked herself away in shock. "Neville you need to listen to me, they are doing this to torture you."

"Neville, please don't leave me again." Luna said from her pool of blood on the floor.

Neville now sat with his knees pulled up to his chest with his arms hugged around them and his face hidden. He sobbed as he rocked and blocked out the noise of Lunas ragged, dying breaths.

Hermione looked on helplessly; she studied everything about the situation and tried to think of a way to help and tried to remember everything she had learned about Boggarts in her third year at Hogwarts but her brain was scrambled. This wasn't to torture Neville, it was to torture her. Draco knew that it didn't really matter what he did to her, it was the safety of her friends that she really cared about. She didn't want to let him win.

"Neville look at me, you need to get over this fear." She pleaded. "Neville look me at me!"

He never lifted his head, he just sat there on the floor, rocking and crying as Luna slowly and painfully died beside him.

All Hermione could do was watch.

* * *

It was late in the evening and Draco sat at one of his council meetings in his dining room, he wasn't really listening as his followers talked over plans to take over certain areas, capture certain people, and kill others. The last thing he'd heard was Devereux talking about a new election in France currently taking place due to the Minister in charge having a scandalous affair with a young girl causing the wizarding population to reject him until he had to resign, leaving their inside man favourite to win. Draco was thinking about the events of the evening before, things were going well for him and would only get better with time.

He was doing a superb job of leading the Death Eaters, running numerous family businesses and the Manor, and he was going to be married to the most wonderful woman his age. Together, they would rule the world. His life was quickly becoming everything he'd ever wanted it to be.

He wondered how she would be getting on after a day in the split cell, he was very proud of this particular idea, he could persuade Hermione without directly harming her, she would agree to give him a chance to stop her friends suffering and once she gave him a chance, she would fall in love with him. She'd kissed him the night before in this very room, she was already coming round but she was just to loyal to let herself admit it, but soon she would be loyal to only him, then she would be able to show her true feelings, she just needed a little help to get there.

He raised his hand and the room fell silent. "Thank you for your time this evening my most loyal followers. Blaise, I agree we should have guards here at the manor but they are not to enter the premises unless it is under attack. I have a select group of people that will reside here, you know who you are." He explained, Zabini, Nott and Devereux nodded slightly as they had been the chosen few who were currently living in the Manor. "Devereux I am so very pleased with your progress in France, keep up the good work." He then addressed the whole group "You're all free to leave, have a safe journey home." He said charismatically as he always did. Draco had a way with people, he was charming and likeable, but when he lost it he became unrecognisable, so it made people not want to make him turn against them. He had everyone he knew wrapped around his little finger. All but one, but that would soon change.

The Death Eaters left the room, all but Devereux, Zabini and Nott, they remained seated. Draco stood up and walked over to the extravagant large mirror above the fireplace, he tapped it lightly with his wand and the refection of the room morphed and turned into a live image of the split cell like a muggle television.

Hermione was on her knees in the centre of her half of the cell, looking sadly through the bars at Neville who was lying in a ball, broken in the other half. "Good job containing the boggart again Nott." Draco said as he looked up at the mirror.

"I was expecting it to be harder, but Longbottom didn't even move when I entered. I thought he was dead for a moment but then I heard him crying like a little girl." Nott said arrogantly and laughed.

"I think it's time to replace him, the Weasley girl next." Draco ordered.

"But she hates her, My Lord. How is that going to work?" Devereux asked.

"It's her cousin, I know Hermione, and she still cares for the girl." He said simply. "We won't keep her in there for too long as I need her for something else. If I'm correct, the fear she'll be faced with will make her much more cooperative for what I have planned next. We'll need two Boggarts for this one." He said and gestured for them to get to work before turning to watch his masterpiece unfold.

* * *

Neville had been removed from the cell and Hermione returned to her corner, she knew this wasn't the end, if she didn't give in it would never end.

Just as she suspected the door flew open again. To Hermione's horror Nott and Zabini brought in another chest and placed it next to the other just before the door was closed Ginny was thrown inside.

She looked around with wide, scared eyes and spotted Hermione. She rushed over to the bars but jerked away sharply as she felt the pain Hermione had experienced the day before. "Hermione, are you alright? What happened to your face?" She asked as she looked worriedly at the cut on Hermione's face which was covered with dried blood.

"Malfoy." Hermione said in a sad, cracked voice.

Ginny nodded "I knew the two of you weren't- well I mean I knew you wouldn't- you know." Ginny tried to explain.

"He wants me to marry him." Hermione said solemnly, forgetting for a moment that Ginny was her enemy.

"What did you say?" Ginny asked with wide eyes.

"No of course." Hermione said quickly. "He didn't like it." She said and then pointed to her cheek again. "He's making me pay for defying him, by making me watch my friends suffer. He wants me to change my mind."

Ginny was noticeably frightened but was trying her best to hide it. "Whatever he does to me I don't want you to give in to him ok?" She whispered and then took a scared glance around to make sure he hadn't heard her.

"Those chests contain boggarts, they are going to release them on you and make me watch, it's all part of Malfoys plan to drive me insane."

"But, I don't have my wand! How am I supposed to defend myself?" She said in a scared high pitched voice.

"That's the point Ginny. The only thing I can suggest is you try to repel them without your wand."

"But I can't do wandless magic!" The chests started to shake and Ginny moved as far away from them as she could until she was touching the door.

"Use your mind Ginny! Think of happy things, make light of whatever comes out of there okay!?" Hermione said urgently as one of the chests flew open.

Ginny nodded and took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself. She didn't want Hermione to think she was scared but she was finding it difficult to hide.

Hermione couldn't believe her eyes when Harry stepped out. She remembered how much she'd missed him and couldn't stand the thought of watching anything bad happen to him, whether it was a Boggart or not, it was too real. She remembered Neville and felt deeply sorry for him having to watch Luna die in front of him like that but this was different, Harry didn't look as though he was about to die, he actually looked well. The other chest flew open and Hermione expected to see Voldemort, or someone who would kill Harry mercilessly but instead she saw herself.

Ginny started to frantically shake her head. "No! Not this, anything but this!" She started to shout as the Boggart of Hermione walked towards Harry.

"Ginny! Don't let it get to you!" Hermione pleaded but Ginny wasn't listening. The two Boggarts began to kiss and touch each other all over. Hermione couldn't believe what she was seeing. Ginny's greatest fear was her and Harry being together. Hermione felt guilt wash over her entire body as she watched Ginny looking at the Boggarts in tears.

The Boggarts started to remove each-others clothes and Hermione had to look away from them. She looked to Ginny who was staring at them with hate.

"Ginny listen to me, Harry and I would never do that to you!" She tried to reassure Ginny but she just put her hands over her ears to block out Hermione's voice.

"HE LOVES YOU! HE'S ALWAYS LOVED YOU AND I'VE NEVER BEEN GOOD ENOUGH!" Ginny shrieked as she rocked. Her ears were covered and her eyes were pressed shut. The boggarts were now completely naked and rolling around passionately on the floor.

Hermione's breath got caught in her throat and tears prickled the back of her eyes. Since she'd been here she had thought about Harry and her. She had realized that Harry did in fact mean more to her than she thought he did before they were separated.

Again, Hermione was left speechless with nothing to do but watch as another of her best friends were tortured by their greatest fear. She just returned to her corner and tried to block out Ginny's shrieks alongside the noise of her and Harry making love in front of her poor best friend.

An hour had passed before Zabini and Nott returned to ward off the Boggarts and remove Ginny. At least it was over quickly this time, Hermione thought. They'd left Neville to face his Boggart for the whole night.

One of the chests was removed and Cecil was thrown in looking confused and scared. Hermione jumped up and rushed across the cell and fell to her knees as close as she could get before the pain was too much to bear. "Cecil, not you!" She said in a wobbly voice as tears filled her eyes. "I'm so sorry, none of this would be happening to you if you weren't my friend."

He looked into her sad eyes with his kind ones and smiled "I'm just happy to have a friend like you Hermione; no one is going to take that away from me." He said softly.

Hermione began to cry, she had grown to care for Cecil so much in the short time she had known him and was terrified for him. He was the kindest man she had ever had the pleasure of knowing and he didn't deserve any of this. She wasn't going to get through this and she knew it. She would have to call for Draco and it's the last thing she wanted to do.

"Cecil, there's a Boggart in that chest. What is your greatest fear?" She asked softly. His eyes filled with fear at the thought.

"You need to stay back." He warned as he backed away from her as far as he could. The chest began to shake, and then bang against the floor. It burst open and caught fire. Cecil scurried into the corner of the cell and stared at the dancing flames in horror. The flames began to spread over the floor around the walls forcing Cecil into the middle of his side of the cell. The hems of his ripped trousers caught fire slightly and he frantically patted it out and then looked around at the fire that was surrounding him, consuming everything so quickly he would be engulfed in flames within another minute.

Hermione looked in horror. She needed to do something; she remembered something about Boggarts changing to its targets worst fear, so figured that if she could become the target then it would change its form.

She quickly ran towards the bars closest to the burning chest just as Cecil began to scream. She was struck with excruciating pain but she reached her hand through the bars towards the chest, the flames burned her arm slightly but it wasn't as intense as real fire, and nothing really compared to the curse that had been put on the bars.

The fire quickly disappeared from around the room, and the remaining flames by Hermione morphed into a fiery, flaming figure of a man who grabbed Hermione's arm, his fiery grip burning her skin. The flames thinned and fell away to reveal Draco standing in front of her with her arm firmly in his angry grasp, dressed in stunning wedding robes looking at her with menacingly, furious eyes. He pulled her body closer so she was pressed against the bars completely. They felt like they were trying to burn through her like acid. She screamed for it to stop but she knew it wouldn't. This wasn't Draco, it was a Boggart; it was trying to hurt her.

The Boggart Draco leant close to her face which was pressed agonisingly against the cold metal of one of the bars. "You're going to spend the rest of your life with me, Hermione Malfoy." Said the Boggart, it didn't quite sound like Draco, although it looked so much like him. It sounded almost as if he was low on batteries or something. She couldn't think of anything other than the pain but the words _Hermione Malfoy_ were echoing around her mind, attacking her sanity.

The Doors to both cells crashed open and after Blaise struggled against its Draco form the Boggart was forced back into the chest. Devereux had come into Hermione's half of the cell to pull her away from its clutches. She stumbled into his arms and they both landed in a heap in the floor and then despite her desperately trying to keep her eyes open, the pain got the better of her and she blacked out.

* * *

Draco watched the mirror as Hermione looked in horror at Ginny's fear. It was just what Draco thought it would be. He loved being right and prided himself on very rarely being wrong. People knew this and so trusted him blindly which was perfect for Draco with him taking on the role of leader. No other man his age could've accomplished something like this but Draco was born for it.

"Remove the girl and one of the chests and then throw in the old man. When you've done that bring Weasley to me." He instructed and Blaise and Theo quickly sprung up and left the room to perform the task.

"What will you do My Lord, if this plan fails?" Devereux asked cautiously, he knew seeing the Boggarts of Hermione and the Potter boy being intimate had angered Draco.

"The plan will not fail, but if it does I have plenty of things lined up don't you worry. She will be mine by the end of the week." Draco said simply as she watched Cecil be thrown into the cell. "I want you to keep an eye on this one Devereux while I talk with the Weasley girl. This will be the one that will tip her over the edge. I'll be back as soon as I can, inform me straight away if she calls for me." Just then Theo and Blaise re-entered the room with a teary, angry Ginny.

"Weasley, come with me." Draco demanded and then led her through a small door into the kitchens.

"I have a job for you. You will return to Potter and you will tell him where his friends are being imprisoned, you will tell him the horrors you have all faced, you will tell him I am the person who caused them and then you will bring him here to rescue Hermione and Longbottom, you will tell him you have a way in and you know how to escape, we will be there waiting and ready to capture him. Do I make myself clear?" He asked as he burned his eyes seriously into her. She nodded her head as she looked angrily back at him. "You will not tell him you are working for me. I will find out if you betray me Ginny." He warned. "You will go in the morning, and you will plan the raid for the following night."

Nott burst through the doors urgently. "My Lord! Something's happening you need to come with me now!" He said fanatically.

"Chain the girl to the counter and then re-join the others." Draco said as she rushed out of the room. He ran over to the mirror and his eyes darted around trying to figure out what he was seeing. Hermione had become the Boggarts new target, the stupid idiot! She sacrificed herself for the old muggle, this was not supposed to happen! "Get her out of there!" He shouted, "Get her out now!"

His allies sprinted out of the room and Draco continued to watch as Hermione screamed in horror. Her worst fear was marrying him. Hurt stabbed Draco's heart and he moved back to put his hand on the dining table to steady himself. He would just have to change that, and give her a new fear…

He watched as she fell into Devereux' arms and passed out from the pain. He waited for a moment after she had been removed and the image of the split cell changed into a single cell, it was one of the nicer ones down there. He watched as Devereux carefully placed his princess on the bed and left the room. She looked so peaceful like that; he couldn't wait to sleep beside her every night.

After a while Devereux returned from the cell. "Dolahov, get Dolahov." Draco said to him before he had chance to sit down. Draco never once took his eyes away from the mirror. "After I have spoken with him I want this mirror removed, and when I tell you to, I want you to go and guard Hermione's cell, but you cannot let her know you're there no matter what happens, if it goes too far you will intervene. When she calls for me you will summon me immediately with your dark mark." He instructed and Devereux looked at him in confusion.

"If what goes too far my Lord?" Devereux asked cautiously.

"I'm her worst fear." Draco explained.

"You're a pretty scary guy." Devereux joked but Draco wasn't amused.

"I need her to see how dark this world really is. I need her to understand what would happen to her if it wasn't for me protecting her. Then she'll see that she that I'm not the worst thing that could be happening to her."

"She just doesn't realise how lucky she is, my Lord. She will eventually though, do you think you may be acting a little impulsively?" Devereux asked.

"No." Draco said simply. "I'm doing what needs to be done. It's for her own good."

"Yes, My Lord." Devereux said with a nod and then exited the room.

Draco would have to take drastic measures to get what he needed, and if this didn't work then having Potter to use against her definitely would.

* * *

Hermione woke to the worst headache she'd ever had, she had no idea how long she'd been out. She was in yet another cell, this once thankfully had no bars. It was similar to the Mudblood cell but was cleaner and had a bed.

She sat up and rubbed her head to ease the pain but it was no use. She looked down to her arm which was covered in minor burns, including one in the shape of Draco's grip around her wrist. Memories of that night started to flood back into her mind, about the terrible things she had witnessed and been through. The words the Boggart had spoken to her were once again echoing in the corners of her mind. She was drained, emotionally and physically.

The door to her cell slammed open and she stared through the frame at a tall, dark figure on the other side. He stepped into the cell and into the light. It was the vile man from the forest.

"They took my little butterfly." He said in an overly fake sad voice.

Hermione just stared at him with hate in her eyes from her bed.

"But you're prettier than her anyway." He said in a gruff, threatening voice.

"You wouldn't dare. Malfoy would kill you." She spat.

"Our Lord will never find out, I won't tell him and nor will you after a little memory alteration, I'll make you think you wanted it." He said arrogantly as he took a step closer to her.

She shot up to her feet and backed away from him but he launched forward and pinned her to the wall. He licked the dried blood from Hermione's chin up to her temple as she squirmed and whimpered beneath him. "Tastes good, feel free to scream for me." He hissed softly at the side of her face. "I've waited a surprisingly long time for this."

"Malfoy will kill you for this!" She repeated as she struggled.

"You're nothing more than a prisoner now, girl!" He hissed and then ripped the top half of her dress from her shoulder exposing her bra. Hermione tried to run while he wasn't pinning her to the wall but he just slammed her effortlessly back into it.

Could Draco have actually put him up to this? The thought made her feel sick. How could he do such a thing to the woman he claimed to love? She actually felt hurt and betrayed at the thought but she couldn't work out why those particular emotions were filling her entire being. Draco had never actually said he loved her, maybe he just thought that being married to her would aid his cause.

Dolohov ran his hand down her bruised neck and chest and she fought against him with her now free hand but it was like hitting a brick wall, he didn't even flinch.

"You carry on like that, I told you the morning you were captured that I like them feisty. Then Lord Malfoy had to come and interrupt our little party before the fun started. Well he isn't going to interrupt this time, darling." He sneered and then threw her onto the bed.

She tried to quickly get up but he was on top of her before she'd even got into a sitting position. He ran his hand up the inside of her thigh and she screamed for him to stop as she helplessly struggled beneath his heavy body.

"It really turns me on when you scream like that." He said as he brought his hand up higher.

"Draco, I need Draco now!" She said quietly in defeat as tears ran down her face.

"You'll have to say it louder than that if you want him to hear you. I don't mind if you scream his name while I give you the time of your life. I bet you've never even had sex before, and I'll be the lucky one, the one you'll always remember." He sniggered as he reached for her underwear.

"DRACO!" She shouted as loud as she could. "DRACO, HELP ME! _"_ She tried to scream but her voice was cracked and she felt hopeless. " _Please."_ She whispered in one desperate attempt, she was just about to lose hope when the door to the cell burst open.

Draco stormed into the room and looked at the horrid sight that was a half-naked Hermione, shaking and crying under the perverted body of Dolahov. He thought she'd have given up before it got to this point. Anger swept over his body and he lifted the Death Eater from on top of Hermione and threw him onto the floor. He then cast a non-verbal torture curse on Dolohov that made him writhe on the floor in pain. He released the spell and the Death Eater sprung to his feet and tried to run from the room but he bumped straight into a furious Devereux who was blocking the door. Devereux punched him hard in the face before he chained the Death Eater and pulled him away.

Draco urgently approached Hermione who was sitting on the bed, shaking and sobbing. Draco grabbed a blanket from the bottom of the bed and draped it around her shoulders to cover her up. He then put his arm around her and pulled her closely into his body, she was freezing cold."

She sank into his safety and sobbed, her tears stained his white shirt leaving little transparent dots on his chest and his sleeve.

"Shhhhhh, you're safe now, and so are your friends." He whispered kindly as he tried to soothe her. "I'm here, I will always be here." He said as he started to stroke her hair gently. She didn't respond, her shaking was gradually slowing but her crying was showing no signs of stopping.

He held her in his arms for a whole hour before she regained her composure. Draco was devastated, he never expected her to be like this. He wanted to go back in time and stop it all, he wanted to protect her from it all and even though she was now in his arms exactly like he planned he wasn't as happy as he thought he was going to be, he was sad. Maybe Devereux was right, he'd acted before really thinking about the consequences and he hated himself for it.

"Hermione let me protect you for the rest of your life." He said sadly as he continued to hold her tightly. He'd expected her to pull away from him as soon as her breakdown had finished but she didn't, she stayed wrapped up in his arms, silently. She nodded her head so slightly he almost didn't feel it. "I will never let anything bad happen to you ever again." He pulled her away from him and looked into her red, swollen eyes. They were hollow, he'd never seen them look this way, and they hardly had any life in them at all. "Are you with me, or are you against me, Hermione?" He asked seriously as she hiccuped and sniffed. He knew she was fragile but he needed to know.

She was silent for a moment, thinking carefully about what she was going to say next. "I'm with you." She croaked, her voice was so ragged the words barely come out. Draco smiled and pulled her into another tight hug.

"I knew you would come around, being a prisoner is something a princess like you should never have to go through. If you stay with me, you will be happy, I promise." He said as he held her. She nodded again but never said a word.

* * *

 **If there's any mistakes in this chapter I would like to apologise, my proof-reader is off on his hols. I will be going over it again and again so will hopefully spot any errors and correct them as I go. I just couldn't wait to post and I wanted to keep up with my daily updates. If you've made it this far, I just want to say thank you. I know its been a slow build up but this story is going to be a long one. Lots of Dramione action from this point on. Sending lots of love to all of my readers, followers,** **favourite-ers and reviewers.**


	13. Chapter 13

Hermione sat awkwardly on a large soft sofa in front of a warm roaring fire in an absolutely stunning bedroom. Draco had decided to remove her from the dungeons after her submission but even though she was no longer in that horrifying, damp, cold place anymore she was still frightened. She couldn't believe what had just happened to her, if Draco hadn't come to save her… She didn't even want to think about what could have happened.

"Don't be afraid, get yourself warm." Draco said kindly as he pulled out his wand. He took Hermione's hand in his own and lifted it up so he could inspect her injured arm. He looked sadly at the burns and the cuts from his glass and then began to heal them.

Hermione felt his magic soothe her burns and heal her cuts as he moved his wand over them and gently held her hand. She was amazed that he was so talented at this kind of magic. Once he had finished on her arm he moved his eyes up her body to see what else he could heal. His eyes found the scratches on her chest and the bruises around the chain of her necklace. "What caused this?" He asked with worry in his voice.

"I was trying to get it off." She forced the cracked words out with difficulty.

"Don't you like my gift?" He asked with a hint of hurt in his voice.

She shook her head. "I was just confused." She lied, her voice was so cracked and sore she could barely form a sentence.

He looked at her for a moment and then healed the marks around her neck and on her chest. He then brought his focus to her beautiful face. He held her jaw gently with one hand and held his wand to her cheek with the other.

She looked into his face as he concentrated on her cheek and studied him carefully. He could be kind when he wanted to be, Hermione was sure it was genuine kindness too, but he was also vile, one of the most evil and cruel people she had ever known. So why did she now feel so safe with him? It was like he was the only person in the world she felt any kind of security with; she thought she must be going mad.

He healed her face and looked at her lovingly. "It's not perfect but they should heal up nicely. You're welcome to use the bathroom. Get yourself cleaned up while I go and get us something to eat." He said and then stood up. "You'll find plenty to wear in the closet." He walked towards the door; he reached for the handle and looked back at Hermione. He had broken her and it didn't feel good. He needed to do something to bring her back to life, he couldn't stand to see her like this and felt so incredibly guilty for what he'd put her though. With that thought he opened the door and left the room.

Hermione sat on the sofa and soaked up the warmth from the fire. After she'd had her fill she looked up and started to inspect the room. It must have been Draco's bed chamber. It was stunning. There was a large king-size bed in the middle of the room. The sofa she was sat on was pretty much at the foot of it with the blazing fireplace in front of that.

At the far end of the room was a large window which looked out across the same lake as the library. In front of the window sat a small circular table and two plush chairs on either side of it. Hermione saw a door and got up to investigate.

She opened it and found a huge bathroom. It was like the prefects bathroom at Hogwarts, it was amazing. Hermione stepped onto the cold tiled floor and when she reached the shower which was roughly the same size as her whole bathroom back home she slipped the ripped dress off and stepped inside. She let the hot water wash away all of the horrible memories she'd faced along with the blood and dirt which was also washed down the drain.

She stayed in the shower until she felt like there were no remains of the horrid Death Eater left on her skin. She stepped out and wrapped the fluffiest towel she'd ever felt around her sore aching body. She moved back into the bedroom and opened the closet. She found rows of woman's clothing but nothing of Draco's which confused her slightly. She skimmed her eyes across the mounds of dresses and finery before she noticed her jeans, top and hoodie from the morning she was captured, clean and folded at the bottom.

She picked up the clothing and got dressed and she instantly felt more comfortable. She returned to the sofa and looked around the room. It was quite feminine when she really looked. The colours were light and delicate. There were also vases of flowers dotted here and there.

The door clicked open and Draco stepped in holding a tray full of food. He took it over to the table in front of the window and placed it down gently. "Come and eat. We can finally have that dinner you promised me." He said with a smile and pulled out a chair for her.

She walked over and sat herself down in the chair and he gave her a little push closer to the table. She didn't look at him when he sat down opposite her; she just looked out across the stunning grounds as the sun set, it was truly beautiful. She remembered what happened last time she had sat down to eat with Draco, and the things he had put her through when she didn't cooperate with him.

"Please, eat something you don't look well at the moment." He said softly as he pushed the tray closer to her. She turned her head and looked blankly at the tray full of food with her lifeless eyes and her arms folded tight across her chest. There were grapes and watermelon, crackers, cheeses and bread. "I thought we'd start you off with something light. I don't want you getting sick." He said and gestured for her to eat. "There's juice too." He said with a sad smile.

She stared at it suspiciously for a moment longer and then shook her head.

He looked at her curiously. "You think I've poisoned it? Don't worry; it's that brilliant mind that made me fall for you." He then took a piece of bread and ate it. "I wouldn't poison you." He said simply. She then hesitantly picked up a grape; she put the fruit into her mouth and almost choked on it. She couldn't remember the last time she'd eaten properly.

The texture and taste didn't feel right in her mouth, it tasted like betrayal.

They both continued to eat, Hermione progressively got better at it but could only eat a little before she started to feel bloated and sick.

She didn't look at Draco the whole time but he couldn't take his eyes off her, even in her casual black hoodie she looked lovely. Her hair was just scooped back into a loose ponytail which hung over her shoulder but she still looked stunning to him, like she always did.

Darkness covered the grounds Hermione was looking out over and left her staring at her own broken reflection in the glass. Her eyes were stinging and her head was throbbing.

"I want you to be my wife." He said softly but she didn't look at him, she continued to look at the woman in the window, she barely even recognised herself. She turned to look at him, his face was calm and he looked at her with care in his eyes. She needed someone to care for her right now, she was the lowest she had ever been and Draco was the only person she had now whether she liked it or not. She definitely preferred it when he was being nice to her, if it wasn't for his crazy side she could actually genuinely like him. She hated herself for being a coward but she didn't want to upset him again like she did the last time he'd asked and she'd refused.

"Draco- please understand, I need time." She said quietly as she silently pleaded with him to drop it.

He nodded his head in understanding. "Of course you do." He said with a smile. "You need to get some rest." He said and then stood up and moved towards her. He noticed her flinch at the sudden movement and it made his heart hurt. "Come on; let me take you to bed." He put an arm around her neck and another underneath her knees and lifted her up into his arms. He carried her across the room and lay her down onto the bed. "Make yourself comfortable, I'll be back soon."

Hermione opened the drawer beside the bed and found a pair of plain black shorts, she replaced her jeans with them and took off her hoodie to leave just her grey tank top and then slipped into the warm cosy sheets. She hadn't been this comfortable for years; she'd forgotten what it was like to sleep in a proper bed.

Draco stepped out of the bathroom in nothing but his boxer shorts, he wasn't as skinny as Hermione had imagined, he was quite toned, but she didn't know why she was surprised, she knew he was much stronger than her, and many others she knew.

She figured that if she was staying in his bed she wouldn't be sleeping alone. He crawled in beside her and pulled her cold, aching body close to his warm one. He put his arm around her neck and held her hand against his chest as her head rested on his shoulder.

"Thanks for looking after me, but I don't need to sleep in your room, I'll be alright you know?" She said cautiously as she soaked up the warmth from his body.

"This is your room." He said simply as he settled down into the snugness of the pillows.

"But- I'm a priso-."

"No, you're not." He clipped. "I thought we'd been through this." He said with irritation for the first time that evening and it reminded Hermione who she was lying with and it made her uncomfortable. "It's right next door to the library, I hope you like it." His kind tone had returned and Hermione relaxed slightly.

"And you thought you'd just invite yourself to stay? Where are your manors?" She joked lightly and they laughed. This right here is what Draco longed for. He had the world at his feet, money and a powerful name but this, the moments he shared with her were unbeatable.

"I can leave if you wish?" He said as he lifted his head up slightly to look down on her, her perfect little hand on his chest underneath his hand was heavenly and he didn't want to move.

She didn't respond straight away. She didn't know what she wanted, her head was a complete mess. The one thing she did know is that she didn't want to be alone. She shook her head slightly. "I want you to stay." She said quietly.

She could feel his heart beating under her hand and it sent small shivers down her spine. She moved her head down to lie on his chest and she could hear it too. Something about his heartbeat made her feel safe, reminded her that he was human, and right now, he was a human who cared about her, even if it was just for now, it was all she had.

That night, Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger fell to sleep in each other's arms.

* * *

Ginny struggled over the sand dunes of the windy beach searching for her family cottage. The wind picked up the sand and it stung the cuts all over her face. Zabini and Nott had put them there for authenticity. Her clothes were ripped from the beating and she was covered in dried blood. She neared the top of a dune and saw what she was looking for, the sun was just rising and the beach looked so peaceful and calm.

She stumbled down through the sand and on wobbly legs she approached the door of the cottage. "HARRY! HARRY, RON! ITS GINNY PLEASE LET ME IN!" She screamed as she banged on the door with her fists.

The door opened and she was greeted immediately by Harry's arms wrapping around her quivering body. "Ginny, you're alright!" He said as he dragged her inside. "You'll be ok, you're home now." He said gently as he sat her down onto the sofa. She could hear people rushing around her but she could only see Harry.

Luna pushed a cup of hot tea into her hands and demanded that she drink it all and Ron put his big strong arm around her as she tried to keep the cup steady in her shaking hands.

"What happened to you?" Harry asked gently as he crouched down in front of her. She began to cry and Harry put his hands on her knees and stroked them with his thumbs.

"We were captured by Lucius Malfoy, he was the new leader of the Death Eaters." She said breathlessly as she tried to hold back her tears.

"Was?" Ron asked as he looked at her and tensed his brow.

"Draco killed him, and has taken his place." She said and started to cry again. "Every day since he came into power has been torture for us."

"Where are the others?" Harry asked as he tried to put the pieces together in his head.

"I-I c-couldn't get them o-out."

Ron held her tightly in his arm and Harry looked into her eyes. "The important thing is you got out of there, Ginny." Harry said lovingly and he took one of her hands in his.

"We can save them you know? I have a way in and a way out. I just couldn't pull it off by myself."

Everyone in the room stared at her eagerly willing her to continue.

"Malfoy is having a party tomorrow night; the whole east wing will be deserted. I know my way through the wing and down to the dungeons." Ginny explained.

"How will we get through his wards and past his guards? Harry asked.

"Malfoy doesn't keep guards at the Manor, and his followers will be at the party." She lied as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a silver and green stone. "And I have this. This stone will allow us entry through the wards; it belongs to one of the Death Eaters. I stole it so I could escape."

Harry nodded as the cogs in his brain turned restlessly.

"Draco bloody Malfoy? The amazing bouncing ferret? This will be a breeze!" Ron laughed and Ginny shot her angry eyes up to meet his.

"You think it was a _breeze_ when I was being beaten?" She spat. "You think it was a _breeze_ when I was locked in a cell with two Boggarts and no wand?" Ron shook his head in denial but she didn't stop. "You think it was a _breeze_ when he used experimental spells on me?"

"N-no, but- b-but you're a girl" He tried to justify what he had said but just dug himself deeper.

"Ohhhh it's because I'm a girl?" She said sarcastically. "Well you should see the state of Neville then. He doesn't even talk or move anymore, it's like he's insane!" She spat with venom and she burned her eyes into his. She calmed down when she noticed Luna run out of the room, Ginny felt terrible, how could she have been so heartlessly ignorant? Maybe she really was just as bad as a Death Eater.

"We're going to save them Ginny, thanks to you." Harry said kindly. "You don't know how good it is to see you; I thought I'd never see any of you again. How is Hermione?" He asked and Ginny looked deeply into his eyes.

"Hermione, her and Draco-.." She paused and thought carefully about what to say next. "She's fine, not a scratch on her really." She said plainly. "Look Harry, I've really missed you but I need to get myself together before the rescue tomorrow I'm really exhausted." She said and Harry helped her to stand up. Harry took her upstairs and left her to rest in what was now his bedroom and then went back downstairs.

Ron sat on the sofa alone with his chin resting on his knuckles and his elbows on his legs. He looked deep in thought. Harry walked over and sat down beside him. "I can't believe Malfoy is the one leading Voldemort's army." Harry said in disbelief as he sank back into the cushions.

"If you could defeat Voldemort, you will defeat Malfoy no problem at all. We actually have a chance to stop this war Harry." Ron said as he too sank back beside Harry. "We should attack him at that party tomorrow and put an end to this."

"We can't do that Ron, what if we don't win? We'll all be killed. They'll outnumber us twenty to one at least!"

"So we just let him get stronger?"

"No Ron, we rebuild our army and then we will attack him properly. Tomorrow we begin by getting back two of our best warriors."

Ron nodded and they sat in silence for a moment both thinking the same thing.

"Ron, what do you suppose she was going to say about Hermione?" He asked as he stared off into the distance deep in thought.

"I don't know mate, but it's strange that she hasn't been harmed. I mean, you saw the state of Ginny." Ron said, unsure of what he was really trying to say.

"I don't know what to think." Harry said as he closed his eyes and shook his head. "I'm just glad she's safe."

"She'll be a lot safer by tomorrow night mate." Ron said and they both smiled. They were finally getting somewhere.

* * *

The morning sun flooded through the window into Hermione's eyes as she stirred, she turned away from the offensive light disturbing her sleep and her eyes fell upon the body of Draco sleeping soundly next to her. She looked at his peaceful face and wondered how something so beautiful could be so bad. In her peripheral vision she noticed something black and long lying on the bedside table on Draco's side of the bed. She flicked her eyes towards it and tried to gain focus with her sleepy vision. It was his wand.

Hermione's mind was filled with so many thoughts and ideas she didn't even know what she was doing. She slowly pushed herself up and slid as carefully as she could out of the bed. She creeped over to the table and stretched out her hand to touch it. She got closer and closer and excitement rushed through her body as she realised it was unprotected.

She grabbed it and bolted for the door; she swung it open and ran as fast as she could down the long corridor. She could hear Draco screaming behind her. "STOP HER!" He bellowed and his menacing voice followed her all the way down the hallway but his shouts gradually got quieter the further she ran.

She ran as fast as her legs would carry her, thoughts were attacking her brain and her heartbeat was hard in her chest. She reached the top of one of the grand flights of stairs of the entry hall. She was almost there.

She was just about to run for the door when the wood of the banister in front of her was blasted with a spell. She held out Draco's wand ready to fight and when Nott tried to run up the stairs at her she flicked it and hit him with a forceful spell that sent him flying backwards across the room and left him dazed in the middle of the hall.

She ran cautiously down the stairs and when she reached the bottom she noticed Blaise out of the corner of her eye. She quickly blocked a spell he'd cast at her and immediately fired one back which he too blocked effortlessly.

They fought for a few minutes as they viscously threw a number of nasty spells at each-other. Hermione grew angrier as Blaise blocked each one. She let the fury build up inside her and then with one forceful push of Draco's wand she sent out a blast of wind that blew Blaise into the wall so hard it knocked him out. Vases and ornaments blew from there surfaces and smashed into pieces on the floor. Draco's wand was so powerful she was almost afraid to use it again. She quickly looked around and when she was sure the hall was empty she made a break for the front door.

She pointed the wand at the door ready to blast it open and run. "You don't want to do this Hermione" Said a kind voice. Hermione looked over her shoulder and saw Devereux standing behind her with his wand pointed firmly in her direction. She spun around and she too pointed her wand at him.

"I don't want to fight you." She said shakily.

"I don't want to fight you either, so let me take you back to Draco." He asked calmly.

Hermione's eyes filled with tears, she took a step backwards and shook her head. She elegantly swished the wand and a reluctant white light came from its tip and swirled towards Devereux but he had plenty of time to block it away easily.

"You call that an attack? I know this isn't what you want." He said more seriously than before as if he was warning her.

She fired another spell at him; this one was faster and more offensive. He blocked it away and looked at her sadly. She stumbled backwards as sadness washed over her uncontrollably and she hit something hard behind her. She jumped away from it and held out the wand ignoring Devereux who she now had her back to.

She pointed the wand at Draco and tried to keep her hand as still as she could but it was shaking uncontrollably. She was drowning in her fear and she felt so sad, so hopeless. He was staring into her eyes coldly. She tried to fight the tears that were once again filling her eyes but she couldn't control herself. She couldn't believe she'd been so close, and now she was once again faced with Draco, and he was angry again, it wasn't hard to tell. Her heart sank as the fear of being caught seemed to fill every part of her body.

Draco concentrated hard as he used the wandless spell to amplify Hermione's emotions. He looked into her big glassy eyes and right into her soul. He pulled out all of her sorrow and all of her fear and he used it against her. He could tell she was struggling to keep focus and was finding it difficult to keep her arm up. "Drop my wand, right now." He demanded, and almost as if she was under the imperious curse the wand immediately fell from her hand and clattered against the floor. She trembled and cried as she looked at Draco whose vicious eyes were stabbing right through her. What had she done?

"Devereux I've got this under control, you may leave." He instructed and Devereux put is wand away and left the two of them alone. "Did you really think you could lie to me and try to escape?" He asked Hermione. She could hear the anger and hurt shaking in his voice.

He lifted the non-verbal spell and she almost fell to the floor as the weight of her emotions was lifted slightly but Draco caught her and steadied her before she did. "I wasn't thinking, it just happened." She tried to explain but he lifted up his hand and gestured for her to stop talking and she shut up immediately, she didn't want to anger him anymore than she already had, if that was even possible.

"It could have been so easy for you, Hermione." He said as he shook his head in disappointment. He picked up his wand off the floor which Hermione had completely forgotten about and pointed it at her.

"Draco, please don't be this way." She pleaded as she took shaky steps back.

"You asked me to stay with you last night, was that all just part of your deluded escape plan?" He spat as he started to take slow steps towards her, for each step he took forwards she took one back until she was stopped by the wall behind her. She looked up at him with watery eyes as he loomed down on her. He put his hands on the wall either side of her head to trap her in and leant down into her face. "Well?"

She shook her head as she stared back at him. "No- I wanted you there." Her voice shook uncontrollably and she cursed herself for being so weak.

He slammed one of his hands violently against the wall beside of her so hard it made her jump. "DON'T LIE TO ME!" He shouted and tears started to fall down her face.

She leant forwards to his face which was directly in front of hers and placed a delicate, shy kiss on his lips and then pulled away shyly. "I wouldn't lie to you, not now. Please believe me." She said quietly, she didn't know what she was doing but she just needed him to calm down again, she hated him being like this.

His face softened and his eyes brightened up slightly. "Why did you run?" He asked firmly, Hermione could tell that his voice was a little calmer but she didn't let her guard down.

"I didn't know what I was doing; I wasn't thinking straight, but I am now." She said and she cupped his cheek in her hand gently. He looked into her eyes and then suddenly pulled her into his arms and kissed her passionately. They shared the rough kiss for about a minute before he pulled her away sharply and looked at her. "There is a party tonight, you'll be my date. You will wear the dress I have picked and if you are on your _best_ behaviour I will forgive you for this little… mishap. If you betray me one more time Hermione I'm going to have to do something you're _really_ not going to like."

Draco dragged Hermione back up to her room and locked her in. She was so close! She was at the front door and she'd just given up at the last hurdle. She felt so ashamed.

She spent what felt like hours in the shower in her private bathroom, alone with her haunting thoughts. He made it look so simple but how could she ever really be happy here with Draco? He was dark and she was light they could never peacefully coincide. They didn't just support different sides in this war; they led them and made it their business to kill the other. Was this all a trap? A twisted game Malfoy was playing? Hermione couldn't work out how it could all be genuine. It was all she thought about but she couldn't understand it.

She moved back into her bedroom and changed into a new pair of shorts and vest. She sat in the same chair she'd sat in the night before and looked over the grounds. The lake was peaceful and was frozen around the edges, the trees and grass was frosty at the tips. She looked out as she thought about Draco, she felt something for him that she didn't understand, she hated him but she wanted to be around him, she was frightened of him but he made her feel safe, he repulsed her but he gave her butterflies. She put it down to everything she'd been through, she wasn't thinking straight at all and he was manipulating her whenever he could. She couldn't let him do this, she wouldn't let him win.

She would let Malfoy think whatever he wanted, but her emotions had to mean nothing to her from now on because she couldn't trust them. She would escape one way or another.

The elves brought her lunch and hours had passed. She decided it was probably time to get dressed. Who knew what information she could get if she went to this party? She would definitely use this to her advantage.

She put on the black, lace dress that had been lain out on her bed while she had been in the shower. The neckline came right up to her collarbones and the sleeves came to rest just below her elbows, the hem touched the floor and the spilt up the right side showed the perfect amount of leg. As always the dress fit her perfectly as if it had been made just for her. She decided it was the most elegant piece of clothing she'd ever worn. The necklace Draco had given her looked stunning against it even though she hated to admit it. She left her father's necklace on the inside of the dress so Death Eaters wouldn't see it. She found a pair of emerald teardrop shaped earrings outlined in diamonds in the drawer of the vanity table; she put them in and tied her hair into a simple but elegant up-do.

She looked into the mirror at the new her. "You are Hermione Molly Jean Prewett, and you will do whatever you have to do to survive this." She reassured herself as she looked at her own reflection. The ruby pendant of her necklace warmed up and it calmed her aching thoughts, it actually made her relax a little. It had been cold for so long.

She waited and waited but nobody came. She'd tried to open the door but it was locked. It had to be getting seriously late by now. She wondered what could possibly have happened. This was so out of character for Draco. Just as she decided to give up and go to bed her door clicked open and Devereux stepped in and asked her to go with him. He had a worried look on his face but he wouldn't tell her anything. He just led her quickly through the corridors and hallways.

* * *

Harry, Ron, Luna, Dean and Seamus ran quickly and quietly through the trees as they followed Ginny with their wands at the ready. They had made it through the wards of Malfoy Manor and now just had to get inside.

Ginny led them around the side of the building and just like she'd said there were no guards around. She reached a small door and unlocked it with the wand Draco had given her to use while she was on her mission; she'd told her friends she had taken it from a Death Eater.

One by one they slipped quietly through the door and into the Manor. They stepped silently and cautiously through the narrow hallway in the dark. They reached another door and they walked through into another pitch black room.

Harry squinted his eyes in an attempt to see better, his eyes weren't adjusting to the dark as quickly as he needed them to and it was too dangerous to cast a Lumos. He had just noticed the outlines of bodies standing around the room but before he could react he had been grabbed and pulled to the floor, he could tell by the sounds of fighting and struggling around him that his friends where in the same situation. Random spells flew through the air in every direction but Harry didn't know what had happened to his wand, all he knew is he didn't have it anymore. He struggled against his captors but he was just punched hard in the face as a result. His vision was hazy and his ears were ringing. The room turned black.

* * *

Harry opened his eyes and closed them again quickly as the bright light of the room attacked them. He gathered his thoughts as quickly as he could and attempted to slowly open them again. This time he succeeded but the light was harsh and he struggled to focus.

He looked around the large room and noticed he was surrounded by Death Eaters. Instinct caused him to jump up to run or fight or anything, but when he tried to move he was pulled back by something. He looked at his ankles to see thick metal shackles bolting him to the spot. He looked around and noticed him and his friends were all chained to the floor in a semi-circle, well all but one, Ginny stood amongst the Death Eaters. Ron and Seamus were unconscious and Luna just looked lost in her dreamy world as usual, you wouldn't think there was anything wrong with her.

"Ginny? Did you-?" He didn't want to hear the answer so he couldn't finish asking the question.

"What? Set you up? Why yes she did! And what a wonderful job she did too." Draco stepped through his crowd of followers and into sight. "Did you know she's been fucking one of your best friends too?" Draco asked with a devilish smirk plastered across his face.

Harry turned a shade of red as he stared hatefully at Draco. "You're lying." He hissed.

"Why don't you ask them yourself?" Draco smugly suggested. Harry didn't respond, he didn't want to give Malfoy the satisfaction. "Isn't that true, Dean?" Draco asked and then turned to look at Dean who looked deadly ashamed of himself as he stared at the floor. He didn't react, he didn't respond. Draco pointed his wand at Dean and with quick flick Dean was writhing on the floor in pain. Draco lifted the spell and asked the question again. Dean reluctantly nodded his head and Draco smirked again and looked smugly back to Harry.

Harry was now looking at Ginny who was looking back at him with teary eyes. Harry knew everything Malfoy was saying was true and he hated Ginny for giving him so much ammunition against them. She had led them right into the hands of the Death Eaters. He thought she loved him but now she'd betrayed him in the worst way possible. The dark side would win and it would be down to her. He hated her.

"Slowly but surely Potter all of your followers are turning against you; Dean, Hermione, even your own girlfriend _."_ Draco mocked. Harry's eyes flicked up to meet Draco's.

"The rest of the Order is on their way, if you let us go now we will let you live." Harry said seriously.

Draco burst into laughter and wiped a tear from his eye as he straightened himself up. "Have you been living under a rock, Potter?" Draco took a few arrogant, slow steps towards Harry. "There is no Order of the Phoenix. Those who aren't dead are either locked away in Azkaban or are slaves. You've lost your little war Potter." Draco said and the Death Eaters around the room laughed.

Draco knew that just like Hermione, Harry cared about his loved-ones more than he cared about himself. Draco had never liked Harry, his father tried to make Draco befriend him as a child as he was sure he'd become the next greatest dark wizard of all time, luckily for Draco he turned down his offer. Ever since then all Harry tried to do was belittle Draco, single him out and slander his family name. He had everyone eating from the palm of his hand, but not anymore.

"You've lost too, Malfoy. You might think you've won but you've got the same black soul that Voldemort had and that was his downfall. Nobody loved him, and nobody loves you either." Harry spat as he stared through the cracked lenses of his glasses and straight into Draco's darkening, grey eyes.

"Oh, is that so?" Draco asked softly as he started to take slow steps in his direction again, each footstep echoed around the otherwise silent room. "And what makes you think anybody loves you?"

Harry didn't know what to say, he really didn't have anyone left who loved him. He wasn't even sure if he had anyone left who he loved. He thought he loved Hermione but it would be nothing short of a miracle for her to love him back so what did it matter? Malfoy really had won.

The door behind Draco clicked open and Hermione and Devereux appeared. Hermione's eyes darted all around the room taking in what she was seeing. She even pressed them shut and opened them again hoping the scene would disappear but it didn't. Was she going mad?

"Hermione!" Harry shouted and tried to step forward but was held back by the chains. Ron had begun to stir and mumble as he regained consciousness.

"Harry?" Hermione breathed quietly as she took a couple of shaky steps forwards but her legs struggled to carry her. "Harry?" She said again and focused her eyes as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing. He reached out to her and from nowhere her legs found the ability to walk through the shock. She practically limped over as quickly as she could completely ignoring Draco as she passed him. When she reached him she flung her arms around him and they both cried into each other's shoulders as they awkwardly fell to the floor. Harry pulled her out of the embrace, put his hand around the back of her neck and pulled her into a gentle kiss. She kissed him back like it was the most natural thing and he smiled, she felt him smiling underneath her lips and it sent chills of happiness down her spine. She held his face with both hands and didn't even think about what was happening. She was just so lost in seeing him again, her best friend, the person who always looked after her and always made her laugh and kept her safe, he would do anything for her, her security.

She pulled away and looked at Harry with a mixture of confusion and sadness. "Hermione, I have spent every single second since you've been gone wishing I had done that the last time I had the chance. I couldn't risk losing you again without at least trying." He said as he put his hand on her face and stroked her cheek gently with his thumb.

"How touching." Draco said sarcastically from behind them. Hermione flinched at the sound of his voice and remembered where she was. She flicked her head around to look over her shoulder and she saw Draco looking back at her murderously, his eyes were dark and empty. "Welcome to the party Princess."

"Wha-What is happening?" She asked but he just impatiently lifted his hand to silence her.

"I thought I'd invite Potter around to show him how disloyal his little weasel girlfriend was, but it turns out my dear, that all this time I've been using the _wrong_ girl against him." He explained coldly as he continued to stare into her eyes. The look of hate and anger on his face made her feel uneasy. She had never seen him look so furious.

Hermione stood up and faced him, just as she was about to talk he pulled out his wand and pointed it at her. Harry then too shot up and tried to pull her behind him but she just flicked him away as she looked at Draco sadly. Draco's disgusted look turned into a smirk. "I guess the Weasel is of no use to me anymore." He said and quickly changed the direction of his wand and pointed it at Ginny in the crowd who was crying and shaking. "Avada Kedavra!" Draco growled, and with a blast of green light Ginny's lifeless body fell to the ground.

Hermione felt like she had been shot straight in the chest. She tried to scream but nothing would come out. She was choking on her own breaths and she couldn't think over the mournful screams and cries of her friends and the cheering from the blood thirsty Death Eaters. Tears fell from her eyes as she struggled for breath. "Y-you, you- _bastard!"_ Hermione screamed as she ran towards Draco. She wanted to rip his throat out but he just grabbed her effortlessly and spun her around so he was behind her and she was looking at her friends. He held her wrists in one hand and her throat in the other.

Harry and Ron were shouting venomous words and trying to break out of their restraints. Luna had her face buried in her hands as she cried. Hermione was silent, the only noise she was making were from her uncontrollably shaky breaths. She could feel Draco's face next to her ear as he forced her to look at her grief ridden friends. "That's your punishment for kissing another man you little whore. If you're mine it's about time you started acting like it." He whispered nastily in her ear as he stroked the side of his face against her hair passionately. "When you kissed me this morning, you were lying weren't you? I told you not to lie to me." He spat quietly so only she could hear. She shook her head but he just tightened his grip around her throat. "Maybe you need to be punished for that too?"

"Draco, please- I wasn't lying. Can we go somewhere and talk, please?" She tried but he just laughed quietly as he held her. She could no longer hear her friends screaming or cursing, she could only hear the silence between her and Draco as she waited for his next words.

"I'm about to kill half of your friends and the best you can do is ask if we can go somewhere and talk? Is it because you don't want them to know about us?" Draco said, this time deliberately louder and now the silence Hermione could hear was genuine. The silence was the worst.

Harry and Ron looked at Hermione and Draco with confused frowns as they waited for more information. She could tell they were connecting the dots and growing angrier and angrier.

Draco placed soft little kisses on Hermione's ear and Harry and Ron turned a deep shade of red as Draco watched them eagerly. "It doesn't matter what they think sweetheart, they'll be dead before they can think badly of you." He said to Hermione as he smirked arrogantly at Harry.

A tear escaped from Hermione's eye as she stared silently into the distance. One of her friends had already been killed because of her and if she denied what Draco was saying he would kill the two most important people in her life right before her eyes, but if she didn't deny it they would hate her forever and she didn't know if she could live knowing that.

She had kissed Draco after all, more than once, so she'd brought it all on herself. Maybe she deserved their hate, she was a disgraceful friend and now it was time to do the right thing, if she had to sacrifice herself for Harry and Ron she would, she always would have. Now it was time.

"Hermione, what is he talking about?" Ron asked as he looked sadly at her.

"It's obvious Ron, look at her." Harry spat as he tried to control his angry breaths. "Look at the way she's dressed, the necklace, the way she's letting him touch her."

Hermione shook her head automatically to defend herself against his accusations. She closed her eyes to try and compose herself as she drowned out the sound of Harry spitting hateful words about her to Ron. She needed to be brave. "Harry, I'm sorry." She said in a wobbly voice and then opened her eyes to find he was staring at her viscously. She had never seen Harry look so hateful in all the time she'd known him. She was about to break his heart but it was better than the alternative. "Harry, I'm falling in love with Draco."

The look of shock on Draco's face almost matched that of Harry and Ron's as he loosened the grip on Hermione's throat. He let go of her completely and then moved to stand by her side.

"You're lying!" Ron called out.

"I know this is hard for you to believe Ron given the circumstances, but it is very much the truth." She lied confidently. "I hope that one day you will understand."

Harry and Ron looked at her stunned with disgust. "Understand?" Harry seethed. "You expect us to understand how you have betrayed everything you stand for, for _him!?"_

"I know this is difficult for you Harry but you can't help who you fall for." She desperately tried to explain but he couldn't seem less interested in what she had to say.

She looked up at Draco and as he noticed the movement he looked down to her to see what she needed. "Draco, may I ask that we do this with a little more privacy? We don't want all of these nosey Death Eaters to know our personal business; we don't know who we can trust." This displeased the on looking Death Eaters in the room but they didn't dare object. Draco considered it for a moment as he studied her eyes as to try to figure her out. She looked back at him and at his lovely platinum hair falling into his almost shining silver eyes.

He nodded his head. "Anything for you." He said sweetly and then gestured his hand for his followers to leave. They all did as they were instructed except for Draco's chosen three, consisting of Zabini, Nott and Devereux. Harry spat at the floor as they spoke to show how disgusted he was with the situation.

Hermione looked around to make sure they no longer had an audience and was pleased to see only her friends and Draco's friends remained in the room. Sure it wasn't ideal and she would prefer an even smaller crowd but she was just happy that Draco had listened to her.

"Harry, I know we've all had our problems, but since I've been here Draco has treated me with such kindness, he even repeatedly saved my life when Lucius planned to kill me multiple times."

"He's basically Voldemort Hermione!" Harry snapped. "He might have been kind to you but did you just not notice him viciously murder your cousin!-" He burned his hateful green eyes into her glassy brown ones. "-or do you just _not care_?" He spat. Hermione flinched at his nasty words. She had expected them but hadn't expected they would hurt so much.

"I-I, it was my fault-." She tried but it felt like every word was getting stuck in her throat. "-I betrayed Draco."

Harry scoffed in disbelief. "Did you really just say that you betrayed _him!?_ I thought you were loyal to the Order!"

Draco didn't say anything; he just looked on eagerly at the scene unfolding before him. Even his brilliant mind didn't think that tonight would end up running so smoothly. Well after the kissing and killing part anyway. Even if she wasn't telling the truth, she was cutting her ties with the Order and swearing fealty to him and he'd never expected this to happen so soon. He could definitely use this to his advantage. Maybe if she carried on like this, Draco could forgive her for today's events. Killing Ginny really had taught her a lesson.

"I'm loyal to Draco now." The words scraped painfully out of her throat and she felt a stab of pain in her heart as she saw the expressions of her friends change into one of hurt and hatred towards her.

Draco put his arm around her waist and pulled her close to him as they stood before her friends.

"I'm going to take Hermione back to _our_ room, Blaise can you see to it that our new guests are safely shown to their new living quarters." He said as he turned to leave. Harry and the others had begun to curse at them both and shout nasty things. The words _traitor_ and _whore_ were the ones Hermione heard the most clearly and most often. "Considering you've just made up for your disgraceful behaviour today, I will let them live for now." Draco said quietly and kindly as he led her out of the room.

They moved quietly through the empty hallways. As soon as Hermione was sure they were alone she stopped abruptly and when Draco turned towards her to see what was wrong she slapped him around the face as hard as she possibly could. He brought his face back up to look at her angrily, Hermione was bitter that it had probably hurt her hand more than it had hurt him. "If you were anyone else I'd have your hand for that. Do not strike me again. I won't be so forgiving next time." He warned through gritted teeth as Hermione's red hand print began to appear on his otherwise flawless cheek.

She was scared but she wouldn't let it show. She looked dead into his deep grey eyes with her fists clenched and her lips pursed angrily. He looked back into her big, brown glassy ones as they swirled with life and determination.

"You have just murdered one of my best friends." She spat. "My cousin!" She shouted as her eyes filled uncontrollably with tears.

"I warned you what would happen Hermione if you betrayed me again!" He spat and took a small step closer to her to close the gap between them. He was surprised when she didn't step away from him.

"I thought you cared about me!" She said angrily but what she really felt was hurt. She really had begun to think that in some weird way he did care about her but he had just done the unthinkable.

"And I thought _you_ cared about _me."_ He said simply in his defence. "The pain you felt when I killed Ginny is the same pain you caused me when you kissed Potter." He spat. "Don't you think it hurt her too, darling?" He asked.

The anger she felt melted away into a feeling of dread and guilt and the pain she was feeling now was making her feel uneasy.

"You made her greatest fear come to life right in front of her eyes. I heard you promise that you would never do that to her, that day in the split cell."

Hermione felt like she had been stabbed right through the heart as she realised that everything Draco was saying was true. Her selfishness had hurt everyone she knew, even Draco, but especially Ginny.

"I did her a favour. I put her out of the misery and suffering you caused her." He said and then caught Hermione in his arms as she almost fell to the floor in tears. "I forgive you for that, I'm the only person who really understands you, I'm on your side Hermione, don't fight me." He said soothingly as he held her tightly against his body as she shook and sobbed. "We need to get you back to your room, come on." He said gently and started to lead her towards the other side of the house.

They got to her room and he gently sat her down on the sofa in front of her fire and then sat beside her. She looked down into her lap as she cried silently, just the odd hiccup and sniff here and there.

"Were you telling the truth about falling in love with me?" He asked and she looked up from her lap to look at him.

"I promised you this morning that I wouldn't lie to you, so no I wasn't telling the truth when I said that, but I am willing to give you a chance." She said. After losing Ginny so suddenly she knew she couldn't afford to make him angry again, not while he had every single person she loved captive.

Draco nodded, he appreciated her honesty. "You won't be disappointed." He said with a smile and reached out his strong hand to gently hold her fragile shaking one. "I have to travel tomorrow on urgent business, but the people who will be left in the house are here to protect you. I will grant you access to the library for the day, you just need to call for either Nott or Devereux alright?"

She nodded her head; she was absolutely fine with that. She was glad not to have to see him for the whole day tomorrow. She wished she never had to see him again.


	14. Chapter 14

Hermione woke up the next morning and felt like she had been beaten half to death. Draco hadn't stayed with her that night and she didn't really sleep at all. The sound of Ginny's scream would ring in her ears and wake her up whenever she began to drop off. A small part of her wished he had stayed with her, maybe to comfort her but she pushed the feeling away. She resented him more than anyone else on the entire planet. She wanted to be the one to draw the light right out of his beautiful, silver eyes as she murdered him the way he'd murdered Ginny, even though it had been her fault, and even though he probably did do the poor girl a favour.

She showered and got dressed into a simple pair of dark jeans and a black jumper. She sat around her room for a few hours but the thoughts of Ginny and her other friends attacked her thoughts mercilessly. She needed to do something.

"Devereux!" She shouted through the crack of her door. It swung open to reveal Nott towering over her.

"It's my shift." He said in a gruff voice as he looked down at her. He was built like a tank and had gotten considerably bigger since they were in school. "What do you need?"

"I would like to use the library." She said and he stepped aside to let her pass.

"It's just next door to the right." He said and she left the room and walked to the door nearest to hers on the right. Nott followed her and just before she opened the door he grabbed her arm. "I'll be right out here if you need me." He said and then released her arm with a smirk.

She went inside and examined the books carefully, spoiled for choice. She ended up being drawn straight back to Enchanted Encounters as she couldn't help but pick it up. She made her way over to Draco's reading spot by the window in front of the fire and sank down into the plush sofa. She curled up and read the entire book as the hours passed by. For the first time in a long time she felt relaxed.

The sun had set and the only light in the room was now coming from the fire in front of Hermione. It was bright enough so she could still see the book that she was just preparing to read again so Hermione didn't mind. She looked up to the window but she couldn't see through it anymore, she could just see the reflection of the room behind her. She was just about to turn her attention back to the book when she noticed something strange in the reflection of the glass. There was a figure of a man watching her.

She turned her head as quickly as she could to see who it was but before she could she had his hand clamped over her mouth and she couldn't move her head. She struggled and thrashed to escape from the grip but her captor just held her tighter. "Shh, you're just going to hurt yourself. Calm down and I will let you go." Said a gruff voice from behind her, it was Nott.

She stopped struggling and he released her. She jumped up and faced him and as he walked towards her she stepped back away from him. "What do you want, Nott?" She said and he smirked.

"I want to see what all the fuss is about; you've got our Dark Lord wrapped around your perfect little finger haven't you?" He said as he burned his eyes hungrily into hers and tried to close the gap between them.

Hermione grabbed a heavy stone statue from the table beside her and hit it over Theo's head. He fell to the floor and she went to sprint for the door but he grabbed her ankle and sent her crashing down to the ground. She hit her face against the hard wood and could instantly taste blood in her mouth.

She looked down to see Nott's bloody face staring up at her menacingly as he gripped her ankle. "I like it rough!" He spat and then Hermione kicked him hard if the face and heard his nose crack underneath the force. He howled in pain and she scurried hopelessly across the floor towards the exit but before she could she was lifted from the ground and pushed forcefully into one of the book shelves causing books to fall all around her as she tried to regain the breath that had been knocked out of her from the impact.

She looked at Nott with hazy vision. "DRACO!" She screamed and Nott laughed insanely.

"Hate to break it to you, but your little Draco is in France. I doubt he'll hear you from there." He said as he pushed his body closely against hers to trap her between him and the bookshelf.

"He'll find out about this and he'll kill you!" She spat as she struggled.

"Not if I kill him first." He growled into the side of Hermione's face as she shook. "I'll take his empire but first... I'll take his woman." He whispered and started running his hands over Hermione's body.

She spat blood into his face and he looked at her in disgust before punching her hard across her face. Her vision went black for a moment and she struggled to remain conscious. She opened her eyes and the room was spinning like she'd downed a whole bottle of fire-whiskey. She could feel him kissing her neck and she could hear him undoing his belt. She struggled against him but it felt useless. "Draco." She tried to scream again but it came out more like a whisper.

Just as she gave up hope Nott was yanked away from her and she fell to the floor as she discovered her legs weren't prepared to support her. She tried hard to focus her swimming vision as she watched Theo get thrown to the floor. Draco's face was twisted with fury as he looked down at his friend with his wand pointed at him. "What the fuck are you doing?" Draco seethed as he gripped his wand tighter.

"I thought you were in France, My Lord." Theo tried to explain as he quivered on the floor covered in blood from Hermione's defensive attacks.

"So you just thought you'd rape my woman while I was away?" He spat viciously and then cast a nasty Cruciatus Curse on him. Hermione thought she'd seen him angry in the past but she was wrong. Tonight she could see why people feared him the way they did. His eyes were almost black and the thirst for blood was smeared plainly across his face.

Draco lifted the spell and spat at his friend who was losing consciousness on the floor. "Oh no you don't!" He said as he walked over to Nott and shook him awake again, his eyes were occasionally rolling back into his head but Draco had his attention again. "I want you to be awake when you find out what happens to the people who try to hurt her." He hissed and cast a spell on him that bound his hands and legs together. "DEVEREUX!" He shouted and his angry voice seemed to echo though the whole Manor.

After a few moments Devereux came running through the door. "My Lord, you're not due back until the morning." He said in confusion as he walked towards Draco. His look of confusion grew stronger as he looked upon the bleeding form of Nott lying bound on the floor. Devereux just looked up to Draco again to ask what was going on but he was met with his fist as he punched him hard in the face.

"You were supposed to be protecting her!" Draco screamed as he gestured his hand angrily towards Hermione who was curled into a ball bleeding and shaking in front of the bookshelf.

Devereux looked over and was horrified to see what had happened to her and soon realized that Nott must have been the one who'd made her that way. "My Lord, forgive me! If I'd known I would have killed him believe me, I don't deserve mercy but let me make up for it." He pleaded and Draco nodded his head. With that Devereux rushed over to Hermione's side and tried to comfort her.

"Gather the followers immediately into the courtyard." Draco demanded.

"But it's almost midnight-."

"Gather the followers now!" He growled and Devereux didn't need to be asked again. He rushed off to summon everyone.

Draco made his way over to Hermione and held her tightly in his arms. "It's going to be alright, I'm here now, and you're safe." He said softly as he stroked her hair gently.

"How did you know?" She asked with difficultly as she tried to control her breaths.

"I could just feel it." He said softly as Devereux came back into the room.

"It is done, My Lord." He said with a small bow of his head.

"Get Blaise and take this piece of shit down to the courtyard. I'll meet you there." Draco said as he stood up and pulled Hermione gently to her feet. He took her out of the library and into his room which was next door on the other side of the library to hers. It was very much like her room but wasn't feminine in the slightest.

He healed as many of her wounds as he could in silence and then took her down to the courtyard which was already filled with Death Eaters. He held her hand tightly as he pulled her through the crowd of confused looking faces. As they reached the circle in the middle she noticed Theo lying on the floor with his arms and legs still tied together.

Draco cleared his throat and then addressed his Death Eaters as he stood in the centre of the large crowd holding Hermione's hand. "Many of you know Theodore Nott as my left hand man, deputy of Blaise Zabini. Now you shall know him as Theodor Nott the rapist! He is now my prisoner facing the worst charges for his attempted rape of Hermione Prewett, who many of you will know belongs to me!" He shouted and but normally charismatic voice was ragged with anger as it echoed around the silent courtyard. "Not only has he betrayed me, he has attempted to hurt the woman l love. These are crimes that face the strongest penalties. I have gathered you here tonight to witness what happens to those who commit such crimes against me." He looked around at the crowd of followers and they just looked at him in shock, or at Theo in disgust.

Draco let go of her hand and shot Devereux a look and he came over and put his arm around her as he pulled her gently into the crowd of onlookers.

Draco stood over Theo and pulled out his wand.

"My Lord, have mercy!" Nott pleaded but he knew deep down it was no use. "I'm your friend."

Draco just looked at him with hate. "Incendio." He said through gritted teeth and a blast of fire came out of his wand and set fire to Theo's clothes. He rolled around in a panic to put out the flames but Draco just shot another and another until there was nothing Theo could do to extinguish himself.

Hermione screamed at the inhuman way Draco was treating him. "Draco, you don't have to do this!"

He just ignored her as he watched his former friend rolling around in agony, screaming as his skin blistered and boiled.

Hermione couldn't watch anymore and so she buried her face into Devereux' robes and tried to block out the sound of his screams which just seemed to get worse and more unnerving with every horribly long second that passed. The next thing Hermione knew it was silent again in the courtyard and she was being led away by Draco. She didn't dare look behind her as she walked away. She knew Theo had burned to death. The smell of his burnt flesh filled her nostrils and she started to retch.

"It's okay, it's over now." Draco said, his voice still dripping with anger as he continued to lead her away. What he'd done had sickened her but she had never been so happy to have him with her, protecting her.

"Thank you." She breathed as she stumbled along next to him.

They reached her room and he undressed her carefully and washed the blood from her face. He then put her gently into bed.

"Stay with me?" She asked cautiously and timidly and he smiled.

"Always." He said softly.

* * *

Hermione woke up alone; she wasn't sure what had happened to Draco, he was here before she went to sleep. He had held her in his arms for hours as she desperately tried to find peace and fall to sleep. She didn't like to admit it but she was so grateful he'd stayed with her because she didn't think she'd have made it through the night with her sanity intact if he hadn't have been there to comfort her when she stirred, jumped or cried. Her nightmares were vivid and torturous but he was next to her all night and soothed her when she needed him to. The last time she'd woken up he had been with her but now it was morning there was no sign of him anywhere.

Hermione felt winded and empty as she scraped herself out of the bed and moved over to the window. She opened the thick, heavy curtains and her breath was taken away by the stunning view of the gardens covered in snow. The lake had completely frozen over and could barely be seen as the crystal snowflakes fell down onto the ice.

"Merry Christmas."

Hermione quickly turned around at the sound and saw Draco standing in front of her in his tailored grey trousers and white shirt. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows as they always were and to Hermione's surprise he was also wearing a ridiculous Santa Claus hat as he stood before her holding a tray of breakfast.

"It's Christmas?" She asked in confusion. She knew it had been coming up but it was the last thing she had been thinking about. "It's snowing, it can't be Christmas, it never really snows on Christmas day." She said as she folded her arms stubbornly over her chest.

"Why do you always have to be such a know it all? Can't you just enjoy it?" He said with a half-smile as he walked over to the table and placed the tray down. He then walked to Hermione's chair and pulled it out for her. She sat down and as he always did he gave her a little push closer to the table. He took his own seat and started to butter a piece of toast. He looked up at her to see her looking at him with raised eye-brows. "Okay, I might just know someone who is rather gifted at weather alteration charms." He admitted as he knew she wasn't going to drop it.

"Nice hat." She said with a smile and he laughed in embarrassment. "If only your followers could see you now, I doubt they'd be so scared of you." She joked.

"I can be myself around you. I don't need to worry about anyone being scared of me today." He said simply with a smile as he poured them both a glass of pumpkin juice.

She looked at him seriously and she caught Draco's eye and the smile melted off his face and he tensed his eyebrows at her. "What's the matter?" He asked.

She was sad to see his smile disappear, his face simply glowed when he was happy, and his silver eye's shone making him look quite irresistible, not that she would ever admit it. She considered what she was going to say carefully. She didn't want to upset him but before she could be civil with him she needed to know that he was prepared to keep his side of the deal.

"I'm just thinking about my friends-." She admitted. "-and Ginny." She said sadly. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. Would you like to talk about it? Would that make you feel better?"

"Are they going to be safe? They are still my friends and I can't just stop caring about them. I can't get it out of my head and I don't want to think about it. I just need to know they will be safe. With everything that's happened I just can't think straight, I need just one less thing to worry about." She explained fanatically fearing the worst.

Draco nodded his head as he studied his glass. "They are safe, and it's because of you." He said kindly and she breathed a sigh of relief. It made her feel better about the situation she was in, about the things she was doing. They may not know it but they were alive, because of her. "Eat up, and then we can go downstairs."

They sat looking out over the snow covered view and ate as they told each-other stories about typical Christmas mornings with their families, they had both made a silent pact not to mention the events of the night before as they joked about Christmas disasters of the past, like the time her family's oven had broken and they couldn't cook the turkey, her dad had come up with the genius idea to barbecue it outside. It was the worst tasting turkey she'd ever tasted but it was still one of the best Christmas' she'd ever had. It was her first year at Hogwarts and she hadn't seen her family for months, she appreciated every second she spent with them and they had an amazing day regardless for the Turkey disaster.

Draco's Christmas disasters had of course been much darker than Hermione's. He told her about the time his Mother didn't cater to his Father's guests correctly, and how his father had backhanded her in front of both their families and friends. Then there was the time Voldemort was there, and how his Aunt Bellatrix had killed one of Draco's second cousins for refusing to take the dark mark. Draco noticed Hermione looked deeply sad and distressed by his stories and that is definitely not what he'd intended. He wanted today to be perfect for her. "I don't have to worry about that kind of thing anymore. All future Christmas' are going to be perfect as long as I spend them with you." He said sincerely with a smile.

After breakfast she quickly got dressed. She threw on a pair of light jeans and a fluffy white jumper. Draco led her down the stairs and through the entry hall and into a room she had never been into before.

Hermione's eyes lit up as she looked around the stunningly festive living room. The large Christmas tree she saw at the end of the room was simply beautiful and it twinkled perfectly. She looked around at the holly and festive lights and candles that surrounded the room in amazement.

Draco studied her and he soaked up her happiness. He'd really hoped she would like it and that it might just cheer her up. He felt joy as he looked upon her bright excited face with adoration. "Do you like it?" He asked and she turned her bright, twinkling eyes towards him.

"It's- beautiful." She said.

"Not as beautiful as you." He said with a smile and then planted a small kiss on her forehead before leading her across the room to the tree. "I have some gifts for you." He said as he knelt onto the floor and reached out to pull something from under the tree.

She sat down on the floor next to him and crossed her legs. "You shouldn't have got me anything."

"I wanted today to be perfect for you." He said as he finally found the one he was looking for. "Here." He said and handed the gift to Hermione and then looked at her eagerly waiting for her to unwrap it.

She carefully pulled away the glittery paper and looked down at the present in shock. It was one of her old photographs of her parents. She thought she had lost them all since she was captured. Tears filled her eyes as she looked up at him. He didn't say anything he just nodded to the corner of the room just behind Hermione. She looked over her shoulder and saw the three scruffy looking boxes from the shack, with her special blanket and Floppity. She looked back to Draco with teary eyes. "Thank you." She said with a smile and he smiled back.

"That's not all." He said and then picked up another present from under the tree and gave it to Hermione. She unwrapped the gift to find it was another photo frame only this time it held a wizarding photograph, she could tell as the man she didn't recognise in the photo moved lightly as he smiled heroically at the camera. He was muscular and handsome with dark hair and chocolate eyes. She looked up at Draco in confusion.

"It's your father." He said and she looked down at the photo again, she was speechless. "The Great Fabian Prewett. He was a very talented wizard." He stated as she studied the man in the photo. She pulled her hand up to touch her necklace as it turned warm again and Draco noticed. "You're wondering about the charm on your necklace aren't you?" He said and nodded towards it. "I've figured it out if you'd like to know."

She didn't want him to know that he knew something that she didn't but her curiosity got the better of her as she nodded her head and looked up at him.

"I think your father charmed it so when the time came, it could help to remind you who you really are. Its old magic and rarely seen these days, or back then really." He explained. "Would you say that's accurate?"

It made perfect sense now, whenever she denied who she really was the necklace was cold and felt heavy and lifeless around her neck, when she embraced who she was it was warm and made her feel calm whatever the situation. She nodded her head as she picked up the pendent and looked down to examine it. "That's amazing Draco." She said in amazement and then looked to the photo of her father again. "Thank you so much." She whispered as she took in every single detail of her father's face.

"I will have your new servant take them to your room." Draco said and Hermione shot her eyes up to him and tensed her brows as she looked at him. Draco clapped his hands twice loudly and the door of the living room clicked open.

"Cecil!" Hermione jumped up and ran over to him and hugged him tightly and then pulled away and examined him for wounds. "Are you okay?" She asked worriedly.

"I'm very well Hermione don't you worry. I'm better than I've been for years; Lord Malfoy has treated me well." He said sincerely with a sweet smile. The happiness in his ever-bright eyes made her happy. She looked over to Draco who was watching them.

"He is your personal slave now." He told her and just as she was about to object as he knew she would he raised a hand to silence her. "And it is down to you how he is treated from now on." He finished and her face softened. This was Draco's way of giving her one of her friend's safety and she realized it was one of the nicest things he could ever have done for her. Cecil was muggle-born and only faced a life of cruelty and imprisonment for the rest of his life in the world they lived in now, whether it was at Draco's hands or some other pureblood extremist. Now he would be her responsibility and she would treat him with only kindness.

Cecil started to move the boxes and Hermione walked back over to Draco who was now standing in front of the Christmas tree with his arms out. She fell into his hug and gripped him tightly. "Thank you so much. He will be safe with me." She whispered and he kissed the top of her head as he held her.

"I just want you and I to be happy." He said softly and she pulled herself gently out of his hug and looked into his eyes. She gazed up at him as he looked down on her; the lights from the tree were dancing gently across his perfectly chiselled features. She reached an unsure shaky hand up to his santa hat and pulled it gently from his head as she stared into his eyes. She dropped it to the floor and they both leant into a passionate but gentle kiss. Hermione ran her fingers through his soft platinum hair as he put his hand around her waist and pulled her closer to him. This wasn't part of any plan, it wasn't to escape or keep her friends safe. She had just done it because it was what she wanted. It wasn't long before the unbearable guilt took over her soul and she pulled away sharply and looked away from him.

She didn't know what she was feeling, he had messed with her head so much. She had just been pulled into the moment that he'd created, it meant nothing. She tried to tell herself.

"That's the best Christmas gift I've ever been given." He said but she didn't look at him she just continued to look off into the distance away from him. It didn't matter though, she actually kissed him, properly this time and actually seemed to enjoy it. He thought to himself happily. One day, she might actually love him back.

* * *

Draco took Hermione out into the snowy gardens of the manor and the fresh, crisp air was heavenly as she drank it up. She pulled the deep red cloak Draco had given her tightly around her arms as they walked together.

"Merlin! Hermione look at this!" Draco said with urgency and when she turned around expecting to see all kinds of horrors he flicked a bit of snow into her face and then laughed as she looked at him with a fake angry face trying to hold back the smile that was threatening to break through.

"You don't want to start something you can't finish." Hermione warned but he just playfully raised his eyebrows.

"Give it your best." He said and lightly pushed her as he ran away to grab more snow. She stumbled slightly and then scraped some snow from the floor and started packing it into a neat little ball as she looked at him doing the same.

"Give it your best shot!" He shouted as he taunted her playfully.

The both threw their snowballs at the same time and Hermione moved just in time before Draco's hit her and it just sored past her and disappeared into the blanket of snow on the floor behind her. Draco was not as lucky as Hermione's snowball hit him in the arm and left round snowy mark on the sleeve of his black coat. He looked down at it and then back up to Hermione. "I'm afraid I just can't let you get away with that." He said with a smile and then broke out into a run. She squealed and quickly turned to run away from him but it was no use, he'd already caught up with her and was swinging her around playfully.

They laughed and then Draco lost his balance in the snow causing them to both clumsily fall onto the ground. They were stunned for a moment, Hermione lay on her back in the snow and Draco was now propped up by his elbow as he leaned over her. He used his free hand to wipe a curl out of her face and then they both giggled again.

"How cosy!" Drawled a snobby, all too familiar voice. Draco and Hermione turned to see where the noise had come from and saw Pansy Parkinson standing in the snow in a large fur coat watching them hatefully.

"What do you want Parkinson?" Draco spat as irritation rose in his chest from the sight of her. He got back onto his feet and gently helped Hermione up as Pansy's eyes burned into her.

Pansy walked over to Draco and stood in front of him. She seemed to lack the fear everyone else had for him. "First you terminate our engagement, for _her."_ Pansy said and looked to Hermione with disgust as he referred to her and then back to Draco before she continued. "Then you kill my new fiancé? Makes me think you're not through with me at all Draco." She said.

"You moved on quickly then? Shock horror." He said sarcastically.

"Jealous?" She asked smugly.

He looked deeply into her eyes and took a deep calming breath before he answered. "There is something you need to understand and I will not tell you again so make sure you listen closely. I did not kill Theo out of jealousy for you; I killed him because he attempted to harm the woman I love. That person isn't you now is it, Parkinson?" He said as calmly as he could manage.

She reached out her hand and touched his chest over his heart. "It could be Draco if you'd give me another chance." She said softly.

Hermione stiffened up; she couldn't believe what she was feeling. Jealousy? For Draco Malfoy? It washed over her uncontrollably as she watched Pansy touch him. She couldn't help herself she just reached out, grabbed her arm and threw it violently away from Draco's body. "Keep your hands off him." She warned through gritted teeth and Draco looked at her in disbelief.

"How dare you!?" Pansy spat and reached for her wand, before she could point it at Hermione Draco slapped it roughly out of her hand.

"And just what do you think you were going to do?" He spat as he grabbed her by the hair. "Have you forgotten what happened to your little boyfriend when he tried to hurt her? I will burn you alive too if you try that one more time. I don't care who you think you are." He hissed as he jerked her hair painfully into an even tighter fist. "Hermione sweetheart, go back inside while I dispose of this trash."

Hermione did as she was told as she could tell Draco was no longer in the good mood he was in before they had been interrupted.

She walked quickly through the snow and into the door they'd come out of, she wasn't sure where she was going so she just kept on walking. She came across a glass door that looked out into the courtyard. She knew her way around from here. She stepped outside once again into the cold snow. She looked around and was struck with memories of the night before, Theo slowly burning to death. Today she saw Draco as somebody kind who cared for her but being here again with a clearer head just reminded her of what a monster he was. He'd set fire to one of his best friends and then watched as he slowly burned to death. She walked further into the courtyard and was hit with another memory. Ginny lying on the floor in the rain as Draco humiliated her. She felt grief strike her heart again as she thought about her. Hermione had turned against her for betraying them that night, but now she knew that Ginny had no other choice. That was all Draco's doing too. She supposed Harry hated her the same way she had hated Ginny if not more.

Harry! She suddenly thought and she started looking around the bottom of the outer walls of the courtyard for the barred windows of the dungeons. That's where he would be!

She spotted them and rushed over as quickly as she could. She fell to her knees and saw Luna sleeping in her old cell on the bed. She crawled through the snow over to the next window and saw Harry sitting with his back against the wall of his cell. He didn't look too bad at all. Just a minor scrape here and there, his eyes were empty as he blankly stared into the space in front of him.

"Harry!" She whispered and he looked up at her and his blank expression turned to one of disgust. "Harry you have to listen to me, I'm going to get us out of here I promise." She explained.

"And Malfoy?" He spat with a cracked voice which sounded like he hadn't spoken since she saw him last.

"Did you see what he did to Nott?" She asked.

"I couldn't see through the crowd but I could hear everything." He said blankly.

"I don't want something like that to happen to you, or to Ron, or Luna or anyone else." She said desperately.

"So you have no feelings for him at all?" He asked plainly.

She didn't respond, she didn't know how to. Did she have feelings for him? She hated him but her mother always told her there was a fine line between love and hate. She didn't love him, but she didn't know or understand the feelings she had for him. There was definitely something, she had realised it today but she knew he was a cold-hearted monster so she fought against it.

"I guess I have your answer." He said spitefully as he looked at her staring blankly trying to think of something to say.

"Look, all I know is I love you!" She shouted in frustration. "Harry I just don't know if it's the way you need me to love you." She said and he looked up to her sadly. He got up off the floor and grabbed a wooden stool from the corner and put it under the window. He stood on it and reached a hand out through the bars and grabbed Hermione's hand.

"I love you Hermione, more than I've ever loved anybody else." He admitted bluntly and she looked sadly into his eyes as she pulled his hand up to her cold lips and placed a small kiss on his knuckles and tears filled her eyes. "But you're falling for Malfoy aren't you?" He asked sadly.

She looked into his eyes for a moment as she practically lay on the floor with his hand pressed to her mouth as tears fell from her eyes, then she slowly and reluctantly nodded her head.

"Harry, it doesn't matter how I feel. I'm going to get us all out of here I promise you, we're going to get far away from here and we'll be happy. You're my best friend please believe me. It's just because my head is all over the place at the moment, I can't even trust my own feelings anymore. I can't stay here with him, not after the things he's done." Just then she was dragged to her feet and was pushed hard against the wall.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Devereux growled. "The Dark Lord is looking for you and you're out here with Potter of all people! Are you trying to get yourself hurt you fool?" He asked as he gripped her red cloak tight in his fist. "Come with me, you don't want to keep him waiting any longer." He said and then dragged her lightly through the courtyard and into the Manor.


	15. Chapter 15

Hermione walked into the dining hall and found Draco sitting at the head of the table with a chair for her to his right. His eyes followed her as she walked over silently and sat herself down.

"Where have you been?" He asked plainly and quietly but his words still seemed to echo around the room.

"I was trying to find the library, I got lost." She lied as she looked into his eyes.

He looked at her seriously for a few moments and then took a deep breath. "Despite the fact that you are a terrible liar, you seem to be forgetting about that lovely little snake around your ankle." He said and Hermione's stomach sank as she remembered. "I know you were in the courtyard and the front of your legs are soaked though, as though you might have been kneeling in the snow." He explained further and Hermione felt her mouth go dry and her body tense up. "Were you by any chance talking to the prisoners in the dungeons? Is that why you're _lying_ to me?" He spat in a gruff, angry voice.

"I just wanted to know they were safe." She admitted.

He rested his chin onto his intertwined fingers as he leant forward onto the table and concentrated hard as he looked deeply into her eyes, as if trying to find something in them. Hermione looked back in fear and confusion waiting for him to respond.

Hermione jolted herself backwards in her chair suddenly in an attempt to escape as she realised what he was doing but it was too late. He was already going through her thoughts and memories in search for the truth. She was okay at Occlumency but she was unprepared for this and she was no match for Draco's unexpected attack. She tried to clear her mind but he quickly found what he was looking for. She replayed the scene with Harry from only moments ago in her mind helplessly, knowing Draco was seeing the same thing she was.

He pulled out of her mind and she almost fell out of her chair from the mental exhaustion he'd caused. She breathed heavily as she sat awkwardly in her chair trying to keep her balance.

"You've lied to me again." He stated coldly as he stared at her. "You're planning to run away with Potter?"

"I just want my friends to be safe-."

"THEY WERE SAFE!" He spat viciously and slammed his hand against the table making her jump. "Now you've taken that away from them." He hissed and stood up and started making his way towards the door.

"What are you doing?" She asked as she jumped out of her seat causing it to fall over and slam onto the floor. He didn't respond he just opened the door and turned to walk towards the dungeons. "Wait! Draco, stop!" She screamed as she ran after him. She knew exactly what his intentions were, he wanted to punish her in the same way he had when she kissed Harry, he was going to kill again, she could hear it in the venom dripping from his voice. She pulled helplessly at his arms as he walked but it was no use, he just flicked her away with irritation. "I'm not going to run away with Harry!" She pleaded.

He stopped suddenly and grabbed her biceps tightly; he pierced his unnerving silver eyes into hers. "Damn right you're not, sweetheart; you can't run away with him if he's dead." He hissed and then threw her to the floor and continued to walk towards the dungeons.

"I want you Draco! Can't you see that?!" She shouted desperately as hot tears cascaded down her cold face, she couldn't let him kill Harry, she had to do something, anything. He stopped walking and slowly turned around. He took slow steps towards her and she stood herself up into shaky legs.

"How do you expect me to believe that?" He spat as he looked down on her.

She thought back to the night she had asked him the same question, the night he'd given her the necklace and they night they'd first kissed. "Well then let me prove it." She said as she looked deeply into his eyes and she knew he remembered too. "I want to marry you."

He didn't respond; it actually took him by surprise. He looked at her deeply, trying to figure out if this was just another lie.

"Then I will be magically bound to you, and only you." She explained. "I will never be able to leave, and I'll never want to. Please, Draco." She pleaded.

He nodded his head slowly as her words sank in. She had pretty much told Potter that she was falling for him and now she'd finally agreed to marry him. This is everything Draco had ever wanted and more. His twisted look of anger softened, he reached out his hands and pulled her into a loving embrace. She was going to be his wife, her body and soul would belong to him and their power would be combined. Hermione as a woman was like a lily amongst thorn bushes and she was going to be his, she was so pure, yet so powerful.

He pulled her out of his arms and kissed her; She ran her fingers through his hair as she kissed him back, it drove him mad then she did that. She then stroked her soft fingers down the the back of his head through his hair and down his neck and he felt his heart skip a whole beat as her little hand came to rest on his shoulder. He pulled her away and looked lovingly into her eyes. "You're going to be happy here some day with me Hermione, I promise."

Hermione's breath got caught in her throat as his words seeped into her ears. She was going to be here, with him, _forever._ Memories of every heartless and cruel thing he had ever done started to flash through her mind making her feel nauseous. She noticed him looking at her with a worried expression and she could see his lips moving but couldn't hear the words coming out over the ringing in her ears. She needed to calm down. She tried to remember something good about him, anything good about him. Her mind trailed over their time together and came to rest on the night before, when he'd stayed with her, comforted her, _loved_ her. Her breaths started to slow and the ringing seemed to fade away.

"Hermione answer me!" Draco shouted and Hermione felt like she'd been slapped around the face as she slipped back into reality and looked blankly at his worried expression. "Are you alright?" He asked as he looked at her deathly pale face.

"I just need t-to lie down." She said as she tried to get her head together. "So much has happened today."

He nodded, held onto her arm to support her and began to guide her gently through the Manor towards her room.

"What happened to Pansy?" Hermione asked cautiously as they walked, she didn't know why but she was desperate to know and just couldn't hold in the question as her curiosity burned through her like wildfire.

"Well I took her to the rubbish depository where she belongs. I thought she might like to see her beloved fiancé one more time. I imagine she's run off home now and I doubt we'll be seeing her again." He explained. Hermione listened to the cruel things he'd done but didn't feel the disgust that she usually felt, it didn't actually bother her at all, and she just nodded her head in acknowledgement. "I bet you're glad to hear it." He said cockily and she shot her eyes up to look at him.

"I beg your pardon? I most certainly am not. I would never wish that kind of treatment on anyone." She stated stubbornly.

"I saw the way you looked at her when she touched me, you wanted to rip her throat out right then and there. I saw your eyes change Hermione, when you threw her away from me." He said and she looked away from him in embarrassment. He was right. "You were jealous weren't you?" He asked arrogantly, his voice an octave higher than usual and she felt the heat rising in her face. She didn't know what to say, how could she deny it? Why did she need to deny it now? She thought to herself. He was now her fiancé so who cares if she was?

"You're my fiancé, and if she ever touches you like that again I won't just move her hand, I will chop the wretched thing off." Hermione said and she laughed and looked up to Draco who was looking down on her proudly.

"That's my girl." He said and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

They made it to her room and he took her inside. He guided her towards the bed and lay her down gently.

"This has been the best Christmas I've ever had." He said kindly as he sat on the edge of her bed and stroked her face gently. "But I need to leave. Urgent business." He stated more seriously and then stood up.

"You're leaving me?!" She asked as she shot up concerned as memories from last time he was gone flooded into her mind.

"I promise you will be alright, if I sense any problems I will come straight back, I'm not leaving the country tonight. I'll be an hour at the most and then I'll come back to you." He explained as he gently lowered her back down onto the bed. He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and left the room quickly, leaving Hermione to fight an almighty battle against her own emotions. She had officially just sold her soul to the devil.

* * *

Harry sat in his cell staring at the wall thinking about what Hermione had said when she'd come to visit him earlier that day. How beautiful she looked, how softly she spoke, the way her lips felt against his hand and then his thoughts turned bitter again as he thought about her and Malfoy. He had actually manipulated her to believe she had feelings for him, it was sick! He felt the bile starting to rise in his chest. Malfoy had not only viciously killed his girlfriend who he loved like she was his sister, Malfoy had also taken the woman he truly loved and was making her love him instead.

The thoughts attacked Harry's brain but he fought against them. Hermione said she would get them out of here, that she still loved him and would escape despite her feelings for Malfoy. He held on to that hope, it was the only thing he had left.

The door of the cell clicked open and Malfoy stepped though. Harry launched towards him but Draco just simply held his hand up and sent Harry crashing into the wall on the other side of the cell. He pulled out his wand and pointed it at Harry as he stared at him hatefully. With a simple silent swish Harry was struck with unimaginable pain as he clutched his head in agony. His ears were filled with a deafening sound, like a train screeching on a track. His vision clouded and his head thumped violently.

Draco lifted the spell and looked down at Harry in disgust. "Did you really think she'd want you, when she has someone like me?" He spat and Harry lifted his head from the floor to look at him.

"What makes you so sure she wants you?" Harry spat in return but Draco just smirked at him.

"We're getting married." He said smugly and revelled in the pain that immediately set into his enemies eyes.

"She would never agree to that!" Harry spat as he rose to his feet again.

"Oh it was quite the opposite, she was practically begging me to take her as my wife not even an hour ago."

Harry felt the rage take over his whole body and went to run at him again but with a swift flick of Draco's wand Harry was once again on the floor writhing in pain, this time because of a powerful Cruciatus Curse.

Draco pushed as much power as he could into the curse but Harry didn't scream, to Draco's disappointment he barely made a sound, but it didn't matter, Draco knew the pain he was feeling would be excruciating on another level none the less. He could kill him right now and Hermione would never even have to know. He would be out of their lives for good. Just as the thought crossed Draco's mind he felt a wave of calm wash over him. She was close, he could feel it.

Draco lifted the curse and grabbed Harry by the throat. "You mention that I'm here and I will punish Hermione severely for it do you understand?" He growled quietly and pushed the end of his wand hard into the side of Harry's face. Harry nodded and Draco moved and stood close against the wall of the window in the dark corner of the cell.

Harry looked at him in confusion but then his attention was caught by something else.

"Psst, Harry!" Hermione whispered through the bars. It was dark and she couldn't see him anywhere.

Harry looked at Draco who looked at him murderously as he stood silently in the corner with his wand out.

"I'm not in the mood to talk." He said hoping she would just take the hint and leave, but she didn't.

"Harry, please I need to talk to you, I don't have long, Draco will be back any minute!" She pleaded.

"Maybe he's already back." He said through the dark, he looked at Draco who slowly and quietly pointed his wand into the direction of Hermione. Harry knew it was Draco's way of warning him to comply or Hermione's safety would be in jeopardy.

"What are you talking about Harry, are you alright? Is something wrong?" She asked and Harry didn't miss the fear that was heavy in her voice. He stepped out into the light and looked up at her.

"I'm just saying, he might already be back and you wouldn't want to get caught, just hurry up so you can get back to wherever you're supposed to be." He said.

"Harry, I've agreed to marry Draco." She said softly and carefully. The same look of sadness washed over Harry's features as he heard the news from Hermione's mouth. It was true then.

"What are you telling me for?"

"I don't want you to fight against us Harry, if you really love me you will let this be." She pleaded desperately.

"You expect me to just be okay with this? You said we would get out of here!" He said angrily.

"Yes, and if you don't fight him he might just find the kindness to let you go!" She tried to explain but he just burst out into manic laughter. "Harry, he's not as bad as you think!" She tried to defend but he didn't listen.

"You just do what you like Hermione; I want nothing more to do with you." He spat nastily and his dismissive words took the breath right out of her. She crawled closer to the window with tears in her eyes and wrapped her little hands around the cold, icy bars. "You're just as bad as him." The words were like a knife straight through her heart and the tears began to fall from her eyes.

" _He's in my head,_ Harry." She said desperately as she tried to control her crying, discretely trying to make him understand that he'd been reading her memories and would probably see this encounter later but Harry didn't seem to notice. He just continued to look at her with hate. "He's in my heart." She said and he started to shake his head as if trying not to hear the words. "He swims in my veins and possesses every thought I have, he's in my dreams. You don't know him like I know him Harry; this is where I belong now. It's better for everyone this way." She finished and waited for a response that she didn't want to hear. She'd said it to Harry just for effect but would never admit that her words held truth that even she didn't understand.

Draco listened eagerly; this is not what he had been expecting at all. She just kept on surprising him. The words she was saying were like music to his ears and he just wanted to take her into his arms and show her how much she meant to him, and let her show him exactly what he meant to her.

"So you're a Death Eater now, just like that?" Harry asked plainly as he looked at her in disgust.

"No, it's not like that-."

"Oh? So you'll just rule alongside him?" He interrupted. "You're going to become everything you have spent your life fighting against?" He spat. He looked at her as the cogs in her mind turned. He rushed to grab his stool and placed it under the window and stood on it so he could reach her. He put his hands over her freezing cold ones as she held the bars between them. He looked deeply into her eyes. "This isn't you Hermione, I know it isn't and I can't let you do this. Remember who you are!" He said but she just shook her head as if trying to block out his words. "I don't care why you're doing this Hermione but I know it isn't what you really want."

She looked at him sadly as more tears built up in her eyes. Then slightly shook her head to indicate that he was right. "You're doing it to protect us?" He asked as he put the pieces together in his head as he studied her reaction carefully. He had forgotten completely that Draco was there. She didn't agree or disagree she just looked sadly into his eyes with her glassy ones. "I'd rather die Hermione don't do it!" He said and she moved her hand quickly from beneath his and clamped it over his mouth. He felt Draco's wand now pushing into his side and was coldly reminded about what consequences his actions may have for Hermione.

"Shut up Harry! I'm going to be in enough trouble for this already! He'll know I've been here." She pleaded and then moved her hand away from his mouth. "I've made my decision Harry, I need to do this." She looked around and then stood up. She looked down on Harry and smiled slightly. "Be safe." She said and then started to walk quickly back to the Manor.

As soon as Draco was sure she was gone he kicked the stool from underneath Harry and sent him crashing to the ground. "You're lucky I don't kill you for that little stunt." He spat as Harry propped himself up.

"Why don't you just do it then Malfoy?" Harry taunted and Draco gripped his wand tighter. "Oh no, you can't! Because then you'd have nothing to blackmail her with!" He spat.

Draco leant in close and towered over him. "Hermione and I have shared moments together you could only dream of." He said venomously as he looked down on him. "You want to know something else? Tonight I'm going to make love to the woman of your dreams, and she is going to love it so much she won't even remember your name by the time I'm done."

Harry looked up at him and clenched his fists as Malfoys words stung his ears.

"I will be her first, and I promise you I will be her last too." He continued and he could tell this was hurting Harry more than any spell could. "I'll make sure you have a front seat at the ceremony."

Harry tried to go for him again but Draco easily deflected him away and then made his way towards the door. "I need to get going; it would be cruel of me to keep her waiting any longer. I hope you get enough sleep tonight Potter. I know I won't." He threw Harry an arrogant wink and then slammed the door closed behind him.

Harry jumped up and repeatedly punched the door until his hands were bleeding. He was surrounded by the haunting thoughts of Malfoy and Hermione together and it seemed to chip away at his soul.

He'd lost.

* * *

Draco made his way arrogantly through the corridors of the Manor towards Hermione's room. He wanted one thing and one thing only, _validation_. If she really did want to marry him then she would have no problem proving it.

His thoughts twisted between the things she said about him, he was in her head, in her heart, and that made him lust for her uncontrollably. Then they would change to thoughts of Harry trying to change her mind, and her believing every word that came out of his stupid mouth which made him angry and made his thirst for revenge grow stronger. He'd waited too long for this, he'd held back for too long and now his thirst for her was so strong he couldn't control it anymore.

He had just turned the corner to the library hallway when Blaise called out from behind him. "My Lord, thank Merlin I've found you!" Draco rolled his eyes at the interruption. He was almost there, he was almost with _her._

"What the hell has happened now Blaise? I have some rather important plans." He said with irritation as he turned around to face his friend.

Blaise looked at him sadly. "My Lord, I regret to be the one to tell you this but the Nanny who raised you is dead." He said quietly and then looked at the floor.

"How can that be? She was young and healthy." Draco asked as he tried to take in the information.

"She was murdered." Blaise told him and Draco looked to the floor and brought his hand up to hold his forehead and he gathered his thoughts. "She was found by the front door of her house, her throat had been slit open."

"Why would someone do that to her Blaise?" Draco spat in confusion as the grief struck his heart. "Everyone loved her and she was from a pureblood family why would someone viciously murder her like that?"

Blaise looked at him again with sorry eyes. "We've had a report from your Mother, somebody tried to breach the wards at Hogwarts, but she doesn't know anything else. The professors there are all vigilant and your mother said she would up security even more upon hearing the news about Charlotte's murder." Draco stared at Blaise seriously as he told him the news but was struggling to take it in. "In my professional opinion as your deputy Draco I would say these were personal attacks against you."

Draco considered him for a moment as he soaked up the information. "Send guards to Hogwarts immediately. Tell my mother I will visit her first thing in the morning and to stay on high alert. Send our investigators to Charlotte's house and make sure the muggle police have no part in the investigation. They are not to leave until they find something we can use." He commanded and then paused for a moment as he thought. "We need more guards here at the Manor Blaise, if the target is my loved ones." He said as thoughts of Hermione flashed through his mind. "Listen to me, we can't let any harm come to her." He whispered to Blaise and he nodded his head.

"I will keep you informed My Lord, I will make sure everything is in order." Blaise said with a bow and turned to leave.

"Blaise, stay on your guard. You're the only real friend I've ever had. I wouldn't want to see you harmed." Draco said and Blaise grinned at him.

"Don't be going all mushy on me Draco it doesn't suit you." He laughed. "Not to mention, whoever is brave enough to cross me isn't going to make it out alive, you underestimate me, my friend." He said and then with a friendly nod he walked away leaving Draco standing in the hallway alone feeling empty.

He walked slowly down the hall and past Hermione's room; he decided he wanted to be alone. He had almost reached the door of his room when he felt dread sink into the pit of his stomach. It overwhelmed him and it was exactly the same feeling he had the night Theo had attacked Hermione.

He turned and ran as quickly as he could towards Hermione's room and burst through the door with his wand out. He scanned the room quickly as he entered and noticed Hermione was in the bed, she shot up as the sound of the door crashing open made her jump up and looked at him with a concerned expression on her face. Relief washed over Draco as he noticed she was alright.

Out of the corner of his eye Draco saw a faint flash of green light and he quickly cast a nasty spell at Hermione that blasted her out of the bed and sent her crashing into the wall just in time as the killing curse hit the bed where she'd been sitting and caused a small bright green explosion that sent feathers flying all over the room.

"Don't hurt her!" Draco screamed as he looked through the raining feathers and smoke at the dark figure in the corner of Hermione's room. "It's me you want! Kill me instead!" He shouted but the figure didn't listen.

It started making its way towards Hermione and Draco started firing a barrage of curses towards it, they all smashed off the walls and furniture as the figure evaded the spells and got closer to Hermione. She was pushed up against the wall completely defenceless and panic set deep into Draco's bones. He charged towards the cloaked figure and just as he got close enough to see it properly though the smoke and feathers the glass of Hermione's window shattered into tiny pieces as the figure threw itself out of it.

Draco reached the window and looked out over the dark grounds as he watched the enemy fly away into the distance like black smoke on the wind. It was a signature Death Eater move, and only one of his followers could fly like that."

Devereux and Zabini rushed into the room and looked at the scene in horror.

"My Lord, what happened?" Devereux asked cautiously.

Draco didn't respond, he just made his way over to Hermione and gently helped her to her feet. She quivered as he helped her move across the room, her lovely face was once again covered in blood and she clutched her side and winced in pain every time she took a step. "You'll be alright." Draco said softly as he slowly guided her.

They reached Devereux and Zabini and Draco looked at them seriously. "I want extra guards here immediately. The person behind this is one of my followers; he flew away using the magic Voldemort taught us all personally so check everyone. Call only the people you would trust with your lives. We also need more protective spells around the Manor." He commanded. He began to walk again but then stopped. "Make sure my mother is safe. I want one of you to stay at Hogwarts tonight to protect her." He added and then led Hermione out of the room.

He took her next-door and into his room. He sat her down gently onto his black leather sofa. "Where are you hurt?" He asked as he examined her.

"I think my ribs broken." She said as she coughed and then winced in agony and she gripped her side.

He looked at her with concern wrapped around his features "I'm so sorry; I didn't know what else to do." He said sadly as he pointed his wand to where she was clutching. She moved her hands and with a few complicated swishes of his wand and the mumblings of complicated incantations the pain went away.

"Don't apologise for saving my life." She said as she looked at him as he concentrated hard on trying to heal her.

"You were only attacked because of me." He explained as he moved his attention to her leg and began to heal it. "They killed my nanny, tried to attack my mother at Hogwarts and then they tried to kill you." His wand had started to shake and Hermione put her hand on his gently to steady it.

"It's not your fault; you were prepared to give your own life for mine, thank you." She said kindly and he looked up at her to find her looking back at him with a sweet, loving look on her face.

"I couldn't bear to lose you." He said and she noticed something she had never seen in Draco since she'd been captured by him. It was fear. She could see it plainly in his eyes as he looked at her.

Her leg was healed and she pulled his wand out of his hand gently, to her surprise he actually let her take it. She could have used it to attempt another escape but she just placed it gently onto the black wooden coffee table in front of them. She then held his hand in both of hers and looked at him again. "You will never lose me, do you understand?" She said with a smile. "I'm afraid you're stuck with me forever."

He smiled as her kind, soothing words sank in and he squeezed her little fingers gently in his hand. He really did love her dearly. More than he'd loved anyone else in his entire life. Before it had just been a desire but now he was positive, he loved and would die for this woman. "I'm going to teach you how to defend yourself." He said seriously and she raised her eyebrows.

"What makes you think I need to be taught? I helped defeat the greatest dark wizard of all time." She stated proudly as she didn't like to be underestimated.

"I am the greatest dark wizard of all time, and right now I have someone trying to kill the people I love!" He spat more nastily than he'd intended to. He composed himself and continued. "Things aren't the same as they used to be. If you're going to be my wife you are going to need more than the shit they taught us in Defence Against the Dark Arts in school. You need to be skilled in the practice of dark magic to truly defend yourself against it." He explained calmly.

"It would help if I had my wand." She said plainly.

"You will be given your wand after the wedding." He said firmly and then picked up his wand again and started to heal the wounds on Hermione's head.

"What if I'm attacked before then?" She asked stubbornly as he concentrated on the healing spell.

"We'll just have to make sure its sooner rather than later and you will not be left alone until then. Either I, Blaise or Demetri will stay with you."

"Who's Demetri?" She asked and he just looked at her like she was stupid.

"I would have thought you and Devereux were on a first name basis by now." He said as he watched her confusion melt away.

She nodded her head. "Whatever you think is best Draco, I trust you." She said and he looked deeply into her eyes.

"Do you really mean that?" He asked and she nodded her head.

"More than anyone else in my life." She said and she wasn't exactly lying, not anymore. She really did trust him, and she felt safe when she was around him. She watched as his face started to glow with happiness.

"I know you went to visit Harry again." He said after a moment but the calmness in his voice didn't match the words he was saying.

"Draco, I, I just-."

"You don't need to tell me. I trust you too." He said gently as he cut her off. "Just please promise me you won't do it again, it's not safe." He said kindly as he brushed the side of her face gently with the back of his hand.

"I promise." She said and reached her hand up to grab his. She pulled it away from the side of her face and kissed it gently. "I'm sorry to hear about your nanny, what was she like?" She asked as she pulled his hand down to rest gently in hers on her lap.

"She was an amazing woman." He said proudly. "She was like any other pureblood witch, graceful, classy, she didn't take any crap from anyone let me tell you." He said and then laughed a little and then turned sad again. "But she had something that the other purebloods didn't have, she was kind. So kind it amazed me. She didn't show it to many people but when we were alone together, or when it was just me and my mother she was the sweetest person ever. She was so much like you in so many ways."

Hermione studied him carefully, she had learned tonight that Draco wasn't just a heartless killer, hell bent on finding power, he cared deeply for the people he loved. He grieved the loss of his nanny like any other would, and showed concern for his mother's wellbeing, then offered his own life to save hers. She felt so bad for the pain he must be feeling and for some reason she was desperate to take it away. "Thank you, she sounds amazing. Did you spend much time with her?"

"Almost every day." He said with a smile. "After my father had finished training me she would take me to the library and heal my wounds as I read my favourite books."

"Your wounds?" She asked as she looked at him with wide eyes.

He looked at her uncomfortably as he realised what he'd said. "It got a little intense sometimes. It was all necessary." He said plainly.

"He hurt you? Draco that's horrible!"

"Well he's dead now isn't he?" He spat and it made Hermione jump back a little bit.

She looked at him carefully for a moment as he breathed heavily in anger before she spoke again. "You were saying? She looked after you, what was her name?" Hermione said softly as she thought changing the subject was the smartest thing to do.

His face softened and turned sad once more. "Charlotte. She was about 10 years younger than my parents; she was like a big sister to me to be honest. She meant a lot to me."

"We'll make sure she gets the send-off she deserves and we'll find whoever did this." She said firmly as she could tell he was allowing the grief to swallow him whole. "We need to be strong now Draco." She said as she looked into his eyes seriously.

"You're right." He said as he stood up and gently helped Hermione to her feet. He held her hand and guided her across the room to his bed. He pulled back the black and green silk covers and lay her down softly. He moved across to the other side and climbed in himself. He pulled Hermione close to him and held her tightly. She stared at the dark mark on his forearm as he held her. She was certain she was actually falling for him, but the more she cared for Draco, the more she hated herself.

* * *

Hermione reached out for Draco as she stirred uncomfortably out of her sleep and when she realised she was in bed alone she shot up in a panic. She looked around the room and found Draco sitting on the leather sofa in front of the fire, wand in hand staring at the dancing flames. He had a full glass of fire-whiskey on the black coffee table in front of him but it didn't look like he'd touched it.

The curtains were drawn but Hermione could tell it was morning from the dull glow behind them. She slipped out of the bed and walked cautiously over to Draco and sat down beside him.

He hadn't slept much at all. He'd dropped off a few times but was woken up by nightmares of Hermione being hit by that killing curse if he hadn't have been quick enough to move her out of its way. He'd jump and search for her and then relax when he found her lying asleep next to him. He'd almost lost her, it was too close. He watched her occasionally as she frowned in her sleep, probably fighting against her nightmares the same way he had been. He just wanted to dive into her dreams and save her from whatever was distressing her. In the end he decided to just get up and keep watch for the night.

She put her hand on his leg and he acknowledged her for the first time and put his hand on top of hers. "Good morning beautiful." He said and smiled as he looked at her.

He looked troubled; Hermione really did want to help him but she didn't know what she could do. Oddly, even though he was the root of her troubles she couldn't help but be overwhelmed by how much he seemed to care for her and she had really began to care for him in return. She knew it was wrong but she couldn't help it. She felt like she had built a strong connection with Draco, stronger than any connection she'd felt with anyone else, despite everything that had happened. Even though she loved Harry, Draco made her feel like no one else ever had. He made her heart flutter and her knees weak.

"Haven't you slept?" She asked.

Draco thought back to what he'd said to Harry the night before, Draco had pretty much predicted a sleepless night but it didn't end up being for the reasons he wanted. She was almost killed. His Hermione was seconds away from being murdered in her own bed, because he loved her. He could see the flash of green light behind his eyes every time he blinked and it made him uneasy.

"Not for the whole night, but I got enough to get me through today." He said as he admired the worried look on her face. How could she be so worried for him after everything she'd been through? "I hope you slept well."

"Your bed is actually really uncomfortable." She said and laughed nervously as she tried to avoid the topic of sleep. It was never easy for her and she was haunted by her nightmares.

"Well I guess we'll have to do something about that, we can't have it keeping you up at night. Why don't you ask the carpenter to make us a new one? We'll try every mattress in the Manor until you find one you like, or we could go to Diagon Ally?" He suggested and then laughed as he noticed Hermione struggling to take in all of the information at once. "Take your time." He joked lightly.

"W-we can leave the manor?" She asked with wide eyes.

"Yes, of course. It has doors doesn't it?"

She narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips in annoyance but it just made Draco smile more, he loved winding her up.

"Very funny, you know what I meant. Anyway, I think I will ask Cecil to make one, I'm sure he'd really like that." She said sadly as her hopes of getting out fluttered away, she'd began to feel a bit stir crazy.

He hooked his index finger under her chin gently and pulled her face up to look at him again. "Don't be sad, we're going out today anyway. I'm not telling you where though, it's a surprise." He said and smiled again as her eyes lit up. She flung her arms around him and gave him a tight hug almost as if to say thanks.

He put his arms around her and held her tightly, he was so lucky he could still do this, so relieved that she was still here for him to hold.

He pulled her away slightly and looked into her eyes. He moved close to her face as if to kiss her but then stopped just centre-metres away. He wanted her to make the move; if she wanted to, she would be the one to kiss him.

Her breath got stuck in her throat as his closeness sent chills down her spine. Why did he stop? She couldn't believe it but she actually wanted him to kiss her. Her thoughts clouded her mind and in a split second she decided to let go of her inhibitions. The tension was thick, she leant in slowly and when their lips finally connected it felt like lightening.

He ran his hand up her neck and under her hair and then held her head firmly in place as he deepened the kiss.

This was different to their previous kisses and Hermione couldn't work out why, all she knew for certain is that she wanted more. She hated herself for it but she pushed the feeling away as she allowed herself to get lost in his presence. She placed her hand against his heart gently as she kissed him back, to remind herself that he was human, a kind human with a heart that beat for the people he loved. She felt it pumping away quickly in his chest, it was fast and hard.

He pushed her back gently so she was lying on her back on the sofa in front of the fire but didn't break their kiss, only intensified it as he pushed his warm, hard body against hers. She moved one of her legs from underneath him so she could hook it around his waist and pull him even closer. As she did she kicked Draco's glass off the table and it smashed onto floor causing all of the surrounding furniture to be splattered by Fire-whiskey.

They both looked over towards the noise; Hermione giggled slightly in embarrassment and caught Draco's attention again. He looked into her eyes and she looked into his, they were shining sliver glowing in the dull room beautifully, so full of passion, drawing her in.

After he'd admired her for a moment he leant in and started to kiss her again, more gentle this time, more lovingly. She finally got her leg around his waist where she wanted it and pulled him into her. She could feel him getting harder as he pressed against her and his kiss deepened again making Hermione's thoughts fuzzy and disconnected. Her brain was desperately trying to pull her away but her body wanted more.

He pulled out of the kiss and left Hermione trying to catch her breath. She was disappointed that he had stopped for a moment but he quickly made up for it as he moved his attention to her neck and started to place soft gentle kisses on it. He pushed her head slightly to the side to give him better access and her breath got caught in her throat as she felt the sweet sensation of his smooth lips running gently down her neck to place delicate kisses across her collarbone.

He pulled her up gently into a sitting position and effortlessly pulled the black vest she wore for bed over her head and discarded it over the back of the sofa to reveal a simple black bra. Draco thought it framed her breasts perfectly as he admired her. He looked back into her face and noticed she looked uncomfortable and embarrassed. "We can stop whenever you like." He said gently.

"Don't stop." She said quite breathlessly and then they both fell into another passion filled kiss as he ran his hands over the almost naked top half of her body.

She moved her shaky hands towards this chest and slowly began to unbutton his shirt. He moved away slightly to give her more room. She slowly and cautiously popped each button open to reveal the beautiful soft skin of his chest, Hermione pulled out of the kiss so she could see what she was doing as she'd started to struggle towards the bottom of the shirt. Draco moved his lips to her ear and started whispering sweet nothings and planted delicate kisses on her earlobe. It made the hairs on the back of Hermione's neck stand on end as she finally got the last button undone and slid the shirt off his shoulders and down his back.

He helped flick away his white shirt and then unhooked Hermione's bra and pulled it away. He dropped it down onto the floor next to the sofa and lay her down again and pushed the bare skin of his chest against hers as he kissed her. As desperate as he was to take in as much of the view as he could he also didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable so decided not to gawp. He was just happy to feel her, feel her skin against his own. He longed for more, to be closer.

He moved his lips to her neck again and then down to her collarbones, then down to her breasts and he planted gentle kisses on them as he slid his hand down her waist and down to the waistband of her shorts. He gently pulled them down and then sat up and admired her as he pulled them from around her ankles and threw them carelessly behind him. He unbuckled the belt of his trousers and slid it expertly out of the loops and placed it on the coffee table. He leant in again and continued to kiss her as he felt her body quiver gently beneath him at he touched her softly.

"Should we move to the bed, or is it too _uncomfortable_ for you, my princess?" He asked gently and then chuckled as she looked deeply into his eyes. She was simply stunning, the light from the fire illuminated her and she just seemed to glow. He felt like he'd waited so long for this moment. "Grab my wand."

She nodded her head and grabbed his wand off the table. He scooped her up and she wrapped her legs around him. She held onto him tightly and kissed his neck and cheek as he carried her over to the bed in his strong arms. He lay her down gently and took the wand from her hand. He pointed it at her tummy and the tip briefly glowed a soft shade of white. Hermione didn't stop him, she'd read about contraceptive spells in her sixth year but it did make it more real for her, what was about to happen she could never undo. She was about to give Draco an important piece of herself that would be his and only his forever.

He unfastened the button of his trousers and slipped out of them before positioning himself on top of her again. The warmth of his body against hers instantly calmed the thoughts that were trying to pull her away and she pulled him into another passionate kiss.

He stroked his hand over her breasts and tummy as she kissed him and when he reached her underwear he slipped his hand inside to touch her. She took a sharp breath as she felt him touch her most intimate area gently. She had never felt so much tension and although she was more nervous than she'd ever been her body begged for more. Draco obliged as he slipped one of his fingers gently inside her. With another sharp breath she shuddered as he slowly began to move it in and out as he kissed her softly.

She had never felt anything like this before; he just seemed to know exactly what to do to make her lose all control. He moved his fingers expertly and stroked her in all the right places at exactly the right time.

He slipped her black underwear down her elegant soft legs and dropped them to the floor before removing his boxers. Hermione looked up at him as if she was looking at him for the first time. He looked down on her and touched himself as he admired her beautiful, fragile form lying on the bed in front of him. He couldn't believe this was happening and he felt like he'd been waiting for it his whole life.

He pulled her legs around his waist and then leant down close to kiss her again. She could feel him between her legs and was frightened but his gentle touch and his delicate kisses helped to calm her down. They were two complicated, broken souls, but together they could be whole.

He placed his tip against her, ready to push it in but stopped just before he entered and held it against her; he moved it around in a circular motion to lubricate himself as he looked into her eyes as she took shaky, unsteady breaths. "Are you sure this is what you want?" He whispered and then placed a small kiss on her lips to give her chance to think before pulling away to look at her again. She looked at him with her deep caramel eyes and nodded gently.

"I want to hear you say it." He said as he pushed a little into her.

Her breath got stuck in her throat as the sensation filled her. "T-this is what I w-want" she said shakily and she really did mean it. At this moment, nothing else mattered, only him. She would deal with the consequences later.

He gently pushed himself completely into her and she winced in pain and took another sharp breath. He stayed still inside her as she adjusted. This was it, they were finally one. "Are you okay?" He asked gently and she nodded her head.

He kissed her softly and started to gently move himself in and out slowly. The pleasure was like nothing he had ever felt before. She was panting lightly against his lips as he kissed her which made him want to completely lose control. The look of pain on her face softened more and more as he moved, he was as gentle with her as he could be, he knew this was her first time and he wanted it to be nice for her. He held one of her arms down against the bed and had his other supporting her neck and himself. She had her free arm wrapped tightly around him trying to pull him closer. He moved his lips away from hers and started to whisper in her ear again between his uncontrollable breaths and moans and nibbled gently on her earlobe. He could feel her breathing heavily and hear her moaning gently against his neck and it sent tingles though his whole body. He just wanted to fuck her harder but he knew he couldn't, not yet anyway.

Their bodies seemed to fit perfectly as if they were made for one another. Hermione's mind was clear of all the bad things in the world that she lived in as she felt Draco gently moving inside her, they were one and that's all that mattered, it was all she needed and all she wanted. When the pain finally died down a little she started to gently meet his thrusts sending him deeper inside her and it made her breathing heavier as short bursts of pleasure filled her body with every thrust.

She re-positioned herself slightly so Draco had even better access and he moved his hand from around her wrist and instead used it to support her waist as he pushed into her deeper and faster but still just as gently. She moved her hand and ran her fingers through his smooth, silky hair. The pleasure intensified with every movement and Hermione dug her nails into Draco's back and gripped his hair lightly as she tried to stay in control.

"Let yourself go, princess." He whispered into her ear as he pushed into her expertly and nibbled and sucked on her neck. It tipped her over the edge. She relaxed and let the pleasure take over her whole body, wave after wave the vibrations of ecstasy filled her and sent her mind fuzzy.

She pulled Draco closer and deeper as she moaned softly beneath him, she said his name and it was suddenly too much for him to handle and was filled with the most immense pleasure he'd ever felt as he too let himself go and came inside her. Draco had never felt more alive.

He held her in his arms as she trembled beneath him and breathed deep, sharp breaths. Under the sweat and skin he could feel her heart beating fast against his chest. He placed a soft gentle kiss on her forehead and then gently pulled out and lay down beside her. He put his arm around her and pulled her closer so she could lie on his chest. They lay together for a while in silence as they caught their breath and thought about what they'd both just done.

Draco decided that it had been the purest most intimate moment of his entire life and was sure nothing would ever be able to top it. Hermione on the other hand felt ashamed of herself which was no surprise to her. She didn't regret giving that part of herself to Draco but she felt like by doing so she'd betrayed everyone and everything she loved. She didn't want to think about that now, she just wanted to enjoy this moment, this truly complicated but perfect moment. She put her hand on his chest and over his heart to remind herself again. It was still there beating away more excitedly than she'd ever felt before. Maybe a life with Draco wouldn't be as horrific as she first thought.


	16. Chapter 16

She lay there for hours wrapped around Draco as he slept soundly beside her, she was happy he was finally relaxed enough to get some rest, she'd maybe dropped off once or twice herself. She knew the world was falling apart around her but she couldn't see anything outside of this room, _his_ room. She was in bed with the Prince of all things evil and she was about to become his Princess. She wished they had been brought together under different circumstances and not through war. They fought for different sides and if either of the two of them were to give that up it would have to be her. He led the winning side; he had thousands of followers and millions of supporters. Her side had pretty much been snubbed out and her supposed leader was locked up in Draco's dungeons. She felt bitter sadness again as she thought about Harry. If she was going to be with Draco and abandon her people and her beliefs she would have to do something to make it up to Harry, as his friend. She would have to get him out.

There was a soft knock at the door which made Hermione jump out of her skin waking Draco up in a panic. It knocked again and Draco grabbed his wand. "Who's there?" He shouted cautiously.

"Don't sound too concerned My Lord, if I was the killer I don't think I'd knock." Blaise shouted from the other side of the door and they both let out a small sigh of relief.

Draco pulled the silk sheets up to cover him and Hermione with irritation. He put his arm around her and pulled her close to him as he sat up against the headboard and sparked up a cigarette. "Come in Blaise." He shouted and the door clicked open. Hermione pulled the sheets up even higher in embarrassment; she couldn't believe Draco had invited him in so carelessly.

Blaise glided through the room and as he reached the bed a shocked smile graced over his lips. "My Lord," He said softly as he smiled and bowed his head. He then looked at Hermione who was pressed closely to Draco and avoided eye contact with him. "Miss Prewett," He said with another bow as his smile widened.

"Keep your eyes on me, Zabini." Draco commanded as he clicked his fingers and Blaise' eyes flicked back towards him. Draco could tell he was impressed, he never truly believed he would actually pull it off but here she was, the Princess of the Order of the Phoenix lying in his bed, next to him where she belonged.

"The council have called an urgent meeting My Lord." He said softly.

"Any news?" Draco asked as he inhaled the smoke carelessly. Blaise looked to Hermione again as if he would be breaching some kind of confidentiality agreement he'd made with Draco when he agreed to be his deputy. "Speak Blaise; she is my fiancé not a spy." Draco spat and Blaise grinned, if he wasn't impressed before he certainly was now.

"Your mother has some information for you but she won't speak to any of us now, she doesn't trust anyone. We haven't discovered anything at the crime scenes. We don't know how the attacker managed to get through the wards at Charlotte's house or here at the Manor. Which leads us to believe it would have to be someone extremely close to us." Blaise explained and Hermione seemed to soak in the information more than Draco did.

"Well why am I being called to meet with the council when you can't tell me anything that I don't already know?" Draco asked but Blaise didn't respond. Draco sighed irritably, "I will give them five minutes and then I will visit my mother as planned. You may leave but stay close to guard the room while I'm away." Draco said and then dismissed him. Blaise bowed once again and then left the room without another word.

Draco doubted the cigarette and turned to Hermione and pulled her into a loving kiss. She tasted the tobacco and she didn't like it but she still soaked it up because it was coming from him. "That was amazing sweetheart." He said with a grin and then got up and disappeared into the bathroom. He reappeared a few minutes later with a towel wrapped around his waist. Hermione sat on the bed and admired him as he routed through his wardrobe. He quickly got dressed and walked over to Hermione; he planted a soft delicate kiss on her forehead. "I need to get going it's almost noon. I won't be long but I would like you to be ready to go when I return." He said simply and then turned to leave.

"Wait! I'm going with you to Hogwarts?" She asked and he turned to face her again.

"Yes, I have an outfit I would like you to wear in the wardrobe." He said as he gestured towards it and then turned to leave again.

"But your mother will be there!" She said and Draco didn't miss the concern laced in her voice.

"That's why it's important that you wear the outfit I have picked for you." He said impatiently as he tried to leave the room.

"Hey!" She called again and he stopped and turned to look at her plainly. "I don't like it when you smoke." She blurted out.

"And?" He asked, clearly getting irritated.

"And I don't want you to do it again." She said firmly.

Draco rolled his eyes and then looked at her again. "Really? Out of everything I do, it's the occasional cigarette that gets to you?" He asked with raised eyebrows and she nodded her head. "Fine, I won't do it anymore." He said lazily and then turned away again and left the room.

One thing at a time, she thought smugly.

Hermione showered and then made her way to Draco's wardrobe. She picked out the only woman's clothing in there. There was an old-fashioned dress of good quality and had subtle detailing; Hermione could tell it was expensive and that it was wizard-made. Hermione slipped it on and wrapped the silk belt that was decorated with sparkling red and gold swirls around her waist which pulled the dress in to hug her upper half perfectly; the hem fell delicately below her knees. She went back to the closet and pulled out a pair of black woman's boots, much like the ones of Bellatrix' she'd worn when she'd broken into Gringotts. She put them on and made her way over to the mirror.

She pulled her hair up into a neat up-do and looked at her reflection. She looked like a true pureblooded witch and it made her feel ashamed. She looked at the expensive looking emerald necklace which looked perfect alongside her dress, she didn't feel like the Hermione she used to be, it's like there wasn't a trace of that person left at all anymore. Her ruby necklace which hung with the emerald one started to warm up as she grew sadder and she remembered what Draco had told her. Her father was trying to remind her who she was.

The thought cheered her up a little as she thought about her father; it's almost as if he knew she'd one day be in a position where she'd need to be reminded who she really was. Then she noticed the small bite-marks around her neck and the dread set in again. She had slept with the _enemy_. Her father was killed by those who are now Draco's people just like so many of her closest friends had been and she had just given herself to him so carelessly.

She didn't deserve to be a Prewett, she was going to be a Malfoy soon anyway so what did it matter? She thought and as the necklace turned ice cold once again and she all of a sudden started to feel the weight of the world on her shoulders.

The door clicked open and Draco stepped in, he had a coat draped over his arm as he walked over to her. "Are you ready?" He asked.

She straightened herself up and composed herself as much as she could. "I'm not sure this dress is really me." She said as she examined herself in the mirror again.

"Nonsense, you look delightful. This is what a witch in your position ought to be seen wearing in public." He said simply and held the coat up for her to put on.

She slid her arms into the sleeves and then buckled the belt around her waist. It was black and almost the same length as the dress and fell just around her knees. The collar that ran down the front and the belt was decorated with the same delicate shiny red and gold swirls that were on the belt of the dress. "My house colours?" She asked as she looked from her reflection to his.

"Don't you know the tradition? When a pureblood public figure returns to Hogwarts they are expected to wear the colours of their house proudly." He explained as he looked at her seeming disappointed that she didn't already know.

"Of course I know." She snapped, offended as it was such a commonly known fact. "I'm not a public figure and I'm certainly not a pureblood," She said stubbornly.

"You are going to take the Malfoy name, you are going to be wed to the darkest wizard of all time there's not a person in the country who isn't going to know who you are." He explained simply as he adjusted his dark green tie which was decorated with subtle silver lines in the mirror as Hermione fidgeted awkwardly. That was that last thing she wanted. For everyone to know what a traitor she was. She decided to just brush it off for now; she would deal with everything as it came.

"But the necklace is Slytherin colours." She said as she examined the sparkling piece of jewellery around her neck.

"It displays unity." He explained and then showed Hermione his wrists. He had expensive looking gold and ruby cuff-links in the sleeves of his shirt. He then pointed to his tie and Hermione noticed he had a matching tie pin. "Speaking of which," He said as he seemed to remember something. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black box. "I figured we should make it official." He said as he opened the box to reveal a stunning engagement ring.

Hermione looked at it with wide eyes as the look of it made her stomach tighten and her skin crawl slightly. It was a magnificent ring, exactly how Hermione imagined it would be. The round diamond in the centre wasn't too large but it was flawless and still a very decent size. It was surrounded by smaller stones to form a perfect circle, they were emeralds of course, all set in stunning white gold. It took her breath away but it repulsed her at the same time.

He took the ring from the box and slid it gently onto her finger. Hermione wasn't surprised when it was a perfect fit. She looked down at her hand and examined it, it felt uncomfortable around her finger, it wasn't heavy it just felt like it shouldn't be there. She looked up to Draco to find him studying her reaction closely so she smiled. "It's lovely." Was all she could manage to say as her mind racked with doubt.

"I think we're ready." He said as he looked approvingly at both of their reflections in the mirror. He offered Hermione his arm and once she'd taken it he led her to his study which wasn't too far away from his bedroom.

He took her to the fireplace and handed her a handful of floo powder. She stepped into the fireplace and held her powder tight in her fist. It did cross her mind to floo herself somewhere else entirely but then decided against it. He would hear wherever she said and she had that damned snake around her ankle and even if she didn't where would she go?

She closed her eyes. "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry" She said loudly and clearly and then threw her powder into the fire place.

* * *

She stepped from the fireplace and into what used to be Dumbledore's office. She had expected it to be dark and dull as the school had been during the battle but she was surprised to find it looked almost exactly as it did when he was alive. So much so she would have expected to see him emerge from the shadows and give her some words of wisdom. She struggled to think what advice the wise Professor could possibly have given her in this situation but she longed for something, anything and anyone to help her, she'd never felt so alone.

She felt Draco's hand on the small of her back as he pushed her forwards slightly. Just then the door clicked open and he grabbed her coat where he was holding and yanked her back protectively as he reached for his wand.

Narcissa walked through talking to a first year Slytherin boy who seemed distressed about something and Hermione noticed Draco's grip on her coat loosen as he realised they weren't in danger.

Narcissa was talking in a soft graceful tone which surprised Hermione. She'd always imagined Narcissa to be cold and sharp. She looked up at them both and stopped in her tracks. "I was expecting you first thing." She said coldly as she reached into the pocket of her robe and pulled out a yellow hardboiled sweet and handed it to the boy as she looked down at him again. "We'll talk more about this later if you don't mind, my son has decided to visit" She said sweetly as the boy gawped up at Draco standing on the other side of the office.

Narcissa laughed lightly and looked back to Draco. "You're his hero, Draco."

The boy pulled on Narcissa's sleeve lightly and she leant down as he whispered something into her ear.

"He'd like a photograph Draco, is that okay?" Narcissa asked cautiously and Draco tensed up at the suggestion.

"No photographs." He said dismissively and the boy's face turned sad as he looked at them.

"Draco!" Hermione gasped as she hit him lightly on the arm. "He's a fan of yours don't be so rude." She said and didn't notice Narcissa's eyes burning into her.

He rolled his eyes in defeat and Narcissa studied him carefully as he stepped closer the boy who had begun to excitedly rummage through his bag. He pulled out a camera and walked over to Hermione, she reached out a hand to take it but he didn't give it to her.

"You're Hermione Granger! Part of the Golden Trio!" He said with bright eyes and she nodded apprehensively. "Is it true you broke into Gringott's? I heard it was impossible! Did you actually go into the Chamber of Secrets? What really happened in the Department of Mysteries?"

Hermione looked into his excited, curious eyes and smiled softly. "Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and I did indeed break into Gringott's, we were almost caught but we escaped on the back of a dragon!" She said proudly as if she was telling him a fairy-tale.

"Would you please be in the photo too?" He asked as he lightly bounced up and down trying to contain his excitement.

"Of course," She said with confusion and he grabbed her hand and pulled her to stand beside Draco. He handed his camera to Narcissa and ran to stand between them. "My friends are going to be so jealous!"

Hermione put her hand on his arm and smiled her best fake smile as the camera clicked. The small boy ran over to inspect the photograph and then looked at them with bright eyes. "Thank you so much!" He said and then looked to Narcissa. "Thank you Professor Malfoy, I feel much better now." He said and then happily skipped out of the room.

Narcissa flicked her cold eyes towards Draco and Hermione, the sweet look on her face had melted away into a disappointed stare. "You're late." She spat.

"I'm sorry mother, something came up. It was completely unavoidable." He said and lightly nudged Hermione. She hoped Narcissa hadn't noticed what he was joking about as the embarrassment and shame washed over her, she just wanted the floor to swallow her up.

"Well Draco she certainly looks the part, you could actually pass her off as a pureblood." Narcissa said softly as she gracefully stepped forward and peered down her nose as examined Hermione closely. "The only problem is of course that everyone in the country knows she's a Mudblood." She said coldly and then looked at Draco.

"She's half-blood Mother. Daughter of Fabian Prewett, perhaps you remember him?" He said as calmly as he could but Hermione could hear the anger building in his voice.

"Ah yes, I remember him well in fact. Fabian Prewett the _blood traitor._ Maybe it's you who's forgotten Draco." She said calmly and Hermione clenched her fists into tight balls as she resisted the urge cut her down for speaking badly of her family. Her father was a good man and blood didn't matter to him.

"She's the brightest witch my age mother! She's beautiful, smart, brave and loyal! You know if it wasn't for her blood you'd think she was perfect too!" He snapped and Nacissa just looked at him with disbelief.

"I can't believe what I'm hearing." She said and then looked at Hermione. "She leads the fight against you." She said and twisted her face into one of disgust.

"There is no fight against me. I defeated the Order." He said simply.

"And you're just going to marry one of its former leaders?" Narcissa's said as she put her head into her hand as she tried to process the information.

"That's exactly what I'm going to do. She is the only person I want to be with regardless of her blood. Not to mention, it will win over the remaining rebels so where's the downside here?"

Hermione wasn't happy about his little statement about the rebels. She hadn't looked at the bigger picture and the thought made her heart ache. If there were still people out there fighting and counting on them, she would be letting them all down by marrying this monster. Her selfishness could bring down the last of the resistance.

"You're going to dilute our family's blood! You said you wouldn't marry the Parkinson girl because she would drag our name through the dirt and now that's exactly what _she_ is going to do." It turned out Narcissa was as cold and as sharp as Hermione imagined she would be, just not in front of the students it seemed.

"Did you not just see how excited that boy was to see her, to hear her stories? She's _idolized_." Draco hissed as his anger started to boil to the surface. "There is no one else more deserving of my name."

Narcissa massaged her eyelids gently as she shook her head.

"You said you'd give your life to see me happy Mother, and she makes me happier than I've ever been." He said and Narcissa looked at him and her face softened as she remembered their last conversation.

"The purebloods aren't going to be happy with your choice." She said calmly and then moved towards her desk and sat down. She gestured to the two seats in front of her and Draco took Hermione's hand and led her to sit down.

"I don't just rule over the purebloods." He stated and Narcissa nodded her head as she sat proudly behind her desk. "We may have imprisoned the Mudbloods but the Half-bloods still have rights. They still have the right to use magic and follow a leader." He explained coldly as he reached over and took Hermione's hand gently in his and felt the ring sitting perfectly on her delicate finger and it made him calm. "I can't rule on fear alone and she will be a leader the people will love. We will be unstoppable."

Narcissa considered his words carefully and Hermione shifted awkwardly in her chair catching her attention. "You have a point Draco, but I get the impression Miss Granger isn't fully on board with your little plan."

"Oh believe me, she's on board." He said arrogantly and gave Hermione's fingers a little squeeze. He didn't even look into her direction but Hermione knew what he was referring to and felt ashamed again. He had yet another hold over her, one that he would always have.

"Very well," Narcissa said simply but Hermione didn't miss the suspicious look in her eyes. "Have you any news on these attacks? I was deeply sad to hear the news about Charlotte, I know she meant a great deal to you Draco."

"It's someone close to me, only one of my closer followers would be able to pass through the wards at Charlotte's house and the Manor. The protection around Hogwarts is different." He explained.

"The Manor?" Narcissa said with concern.

Draco nodded his head. "They got in and they attacked Hermione. She'd be dead now had I not sensed she was in danger."

Narcissa sat silently in her chair for a moment as she soaked up the information. "You have many enemies Draco, but I suspect, due to the nature of these attacks that it could be the Nott family seeking revenge. You took their only son, so they will take those you love in return." She suggested.

He nodded in agreement as he thought deeply.

"It could be Pansy." Hermione suggested and felt uncomfortable as she now had both Narcissa's and Draco's attention. "First you leave her, then burn her new fiancé to death, and then threw her into the rubbish next to his charcoaled dead body on Christmas day." She blurted out and then felt quite breathless and lightheaded at the thought of what he'd done, what he was capable of.

Narcissa didn't speak at first; she just stared her eyes into him coldly and seemed to be deep in thought. "She's right Draco that sounds like a valid reason to seek revenge against you."

"Pansy is useless" He dismissed. "She's not capable of such things."

"You have a horrible tendency to underestimate people Draco." Narcissa said firmly as she looked at him with disappointment. "Jealousy and heartbreak can change people."

"Do you have everything under control here mother?" He asked and changed the subject away from that wretched girl.

"I always have everything under control Draco; there you go again with you ill estimations. You are the one in danger, and your fiancé, so make sure you have the necessary things in place to keep the two of you safe." She said and then stood up. She made her way over to Draco and placed her hand softly on his shoulder. "Dinner is about to begin so I need to go. Come and see me again soon." She said and then gracefully glided out of the room.

"We're leaving." Draco said firmly as he stood up.

"So soon?" Hermione asked sarcastically and grinned up at him. He didn't really respond he just reached out his hand for her to take. Hermione was just glad she could finally get out of here. She never thought she'd feel more comfortable at Malfoy Manor than here at Hogwarts.

* * *

Hermione sat in the dining room of the Manor with Devereux. It had been a few days since hers and Draco's trip to Hogwarts and Draco had left in the early hours of the morning on 'urgent business' as he often did, leaving Hermione to eat breakfast with one of his cronies. Since the attack Draco had to work more often which was okay for Hermione, she didn't mind too much as it simplified things. She didn't want to think about the horrible things he was doing when he was away. She knew he'd quickly become more feared than Voldemort and she knew he'd only managed that by doing unthinkably dark things, and of course having Harry Potter locked away helped too. She didn't like to think about it.

Devereux stared at her looking mindlessly at her breakfast. "I can't wait until you get your wand back and can protect yourself. I'm getting bored sitting with you all the time." He said and she shot her eyes up to meet his opposite her.

"You know you love being in my company Demetri, I'm the only other person in this place with half a brain." She joked. "I'm going to miss our little dates." They both giggled.

"Well I hear I will be running some of your training sessions. I'll be teaching you how to duel properly." He said smugly and she folded her arms tight across her chest and she had an offended look on her face.

"Maybe I'll teach you a thing or two." She said arrogantly and he laughed which didn't impress her.

"I guess we'll see if you're as good as everybody makes out." He said and raised his eyebrows, she couldn't help but smile.

She reached for her pumpkin juice and brought it up to her lips. "I'm going to kick your butt." She said quietly into her glass and took a sip as if she hadn't said anything at all and he looked at her in disbelief and then laughed and kicked her lightly under the table.

"In your dreams," He said and they both laughed, they didn't even notice the door of the dining room open and close as they joked.

"Not interrupting, am I?" Draco asked as the stood in front of them with one hand in his trouser pocket and the other one holding a newspaper.

Devereux stood up from his seat and bowed his head. "She's all yours, My Lord." He said softly and then left the room with a smile.

"I'm glad you've found a friend here." He said kindly but his expression didn't give anything away.

"I wouldn't exactly say we were friends." She said defensively, offended at the idea of her being friends with a Death Eater. Then she remembered that she had slept with their leader and supposed it wouldn't actually be that outrageous.

She looked away from his eyes and at a blank piece of table as she thought about what the two of them had done. She tried not to think about it but whenever she did shame was the main emotion that clung to the memory. The worst part about it was how much she'd actually enjoyed it; she really was nothing but a traitor.

Draco didn't respond he just threw the newspaper he was holding onto the table in Hermione's eye-line. "We made the front page." He said plainly as she looked at it in horror.

She looked at the photograph of her and Draco from their visit to Hogwarts with the small Slytherin boy standing happily between them. She stared blankly at the headline in complete shock.

 **FORMER WAR REBEL TO WED LORD MALFOY?**

Hermione put her hand over her mouth and looked at the newspaper like it was about to explode. Draco turned to the page with the article which took up two entire pages. Hermione scanned her eyes over the pages.

 _This photograph, which was submitted by a very happy Hogwarts student, features Lord Draco Malfoy with none other than Hermione Granger, sidekick of Harry Potter, leader of senseless rebellion group The Order of The Phoenix._

 _In this photograph we see them revisiting their old school together proudly sporting their house colours, but that's not all we noticed! Take a look at Lord Malfoys cufflinks and tiepin, and her necklace, they're also wearing each-others colours. Then of course we turned our attention to the rock on Hermione Grangers finger, which also represents Lord Malfoys house and family colours. It appears to us that this may be their way of going public with their engagement._

Hermione was speechless; she hadn't expected this at all. She hadn't even thought of Draco as being news worthy and the whole concept frightened her. Hermione refocused her vison onto the paper and her eyes were caught by the word _blood_ , of course that would be the question on everyone's lips.

 _You may be surprised to see Hermione Granger at all these days given her alleged blood status and that she is a known leader of the defeated resistance. You may be even more surprised to see her on the arm of the Powerful Lord Malfoy but we have been given information from a very reliable source which suggests Hermione Granger isn't a Mudblood after all, so no need to panic just yet folks! We've been informed that Hermione isn't a Mudblood at all and is actually a descendant of the Prewett family, who are part of the sacred twenty-eight, as are the Malfoy family._

Hermione ripped her eyes away from the paper as they'd began to fill with tears. "I don't want to see anymore." She said as she looked into her lap.

"You wanted to pose for the picture." He said as he picked up the paper again and folded it up.

"I didn't expect this!" She snapped and he looked at her curiously.

"I didn't want it to go public yet either but don't seem too devastated about people knowing about us." He said sharply.

"My people will think badly of me." She said and then looked into his eyes sadly.

" _Our people_ are going to adore you." He corrected impatiently. "It seems my Mother is going to make sure the purebloods do too." He said and then reopened the paper and inspected it. "The information about your heritage will have no doubt come from her, to pacify the purebloods before they jump to conclusions. It doesn't even specify that you're halfblood." He said in disbelief.

Hermione stared off into space as Draco's words slowly faded out as her doubt once again took over. She was finding it hard to breathe again as she tried to control her heartbeat. "I don't think I can do this Draco." She said absently without even thinking about it.

"I beg your pardon?" He said and Hermione snapped back into reality, she instantly regretted what she'd said when she saw the anger in his face and his eyes drop a shade darker but she couldn't take it back.

"I just don't think we're good for each other how do you expect this to work?" She asked desperately as she let go of her fear.

"You agreed to this Hermione, I thought we were finally on the same page." He said and she didn't miss the irritation in his voice as he burnt his unnerving eyes into her. Hermione hadn't seen him like this for a while and she remembered how much she hated it. She'd let him pull the wool over her eyes to make her think he had something decent about him. He'd manipulated her and she'd fallen for it.

"I didn't have a choice!" She shouted angrily and rose to her feet to face him with tears in her eyes.

He just laughed darkly and shook his head. "You had a choice when you let me fuck you the other day."

His words echoed in her ears around the deathly silence now in the room. She felt like the air had been taken completely out of her and she couldn't stop the tears falling from hers eyes. She tried to speak, to say something, anything, but the words just died in her throat as he ginned at her.

"The wedding is next week." He spat and then stormed out of the room leaving Hermione holding onto the dining table in shock and pain as his spiteful words repeated over and over in her head overwhelming her with guilt.

Devereux entered shortly after he left and looked at Hermione with worry plain in his eyes. "Darling, what's happened to you?" He asked as he rushed over and sat her down gently.

"I'm a filthy whore!" She sobbed. "And I'm a t-traitor!"

"Shhh, you're going to ruin that lovely make-up." He said gently and wiped a tear away from her eye.

"I'm not w-wearing any" She said and then sniffed as she looked at him.

"You could have fooled me, your skin is delightful." He said kindly and Hermione smiled at him. "That's what I like to see!" He said with a wide smile. "Come on, it's your first training session. You'll need to use that frustration if you're going to beat me."

* * *

Hermione stood at one end of the Manor ballroom and Devereux stood at the other, she'd been given a wand, it appeared she could be trusted with one now under supervision as they knew she had nowhere to run now; they wouldn't let her have her own wand though, not until after the wedding.

She didn't feel like duelling, she felt broken and empty inside and her body felt weak and fatigued. She held out the wand and pointed it uncertainly towards Devereux. He bowed gracefully and she forced herself into a reluctant half-bow as he studied her. "You need to be more enthusiastic." He shouted. "Now begin!" He demanded.

"Confringo" She said as she felt the magic run through her body and out of the tip of the wand. The blast hurtled towards Devereux but he easily blocked it away and immediately fired a spell back towards her nonverbally. "Protago!" She shouted and a silver force field covered her protecting her from the spell but it was so powerful it knocked her backwards and sent her crashing to the floor.

She looked back up to Devereux to see another spell flying towards her. "Protago!" She blocked it and then sent a nonverbal disarming spell at him but he blocked it easily and shot another spell at Hermione as she attempted to scramble back to her feat. "Protago!" She shouted breathlessly and blocked it away just in time but spell knocked her down again as it bounced off her shield. The breath had been knocked right out of her and she lay on her back hissing in pain.

"More nonverbal spells, Prewett; you're giving too much away." He shouted. "Get up! You look pathetic!" He hollered and Hermione pushed herself up off the floor.

She quickly flicked her wand and sent a nonverbal stunning spell and him but as usual he easily blocked it away. "It's like you're not even trying!" He shouted and then shot another nasty spell her way that she blocked with difficultly but was happy she'd managed to stay on her feet.

The door of the ballroom opened and took Hermione's attention away. She saw Draco and felt her temper start to burn as he walked arrogantly across the room with Zabini. It was a mistake looking away from her competitor as he threw a nasty stinging jinx at her that whipped her neck violently grabbing her attention again. "Pay attention!" He shouted across the room. "Don't let your guard down!"

"She just can't keep her eyes off me, Dimitri." Draco said smugly as he sat himself down on one of the sofas down the side of the room and Zabini laughed as he sat down beside him.

She took a deep breath to control her rage, pointed her wand at Devereux and with a swift flick she sent a quantity of bluebell like flames out of the wand and flying towards him. He held out his wand and focused hard as he used a protective spell to deflect it. The room was lit blue in every corner as Hermione held it for as long as she could and Devereux worked hard to defend himself against it.

She dropped the spell and Devereux faltered slightly and took a step back, the defensive charm he'd used had drained him slightly. Hermione took advantage of this and immediately fired another blasting curse at him despite feeling completely drained herself. She hadn't used magic in what felt like forever. He blocked it just in time and sent another flying back at her.

Draco and Blaise watched in amazement as they fired an assortment of different spells and curses at one another, each being blocked or avoided expertly. Now they were both looking extremely exhausted and each spell they cast seemed to take a lot of effort. They were both covered in scratches and dust from explosions but neither one of them was close to giving up.

Devereux fired a spell across the room and it sent Hermione flying backwards but just before it hit her she'd cast a leg binding curse that Devereux was not expecting. The heavy chains spun across the room and before Devereux could block them away they crashed into his legs and wrapped around them tightly making him fall to the floor. Hermione pushed past the pain and hoisted herself up on the floor as quickly as she could. She saw Devereux was on the floor too and quickly disarmed him sending his wand flying across the room leaving him hopelessly chained on the floor.

She laughed loudly in disbelief. She'd actually beaten him! One of the strongest Death Eaters out there and third in command to the Dark Lord. She was so proud of herself. She pushed herself up and walked over to him and pointed her wand into his face. "Don't let your guard down." She said smugly as she revelled in her victory.

He swung his legs around and tripped her over. She hit the floor hard which once again knocked the breath out of her lungs and her wand flew out of her grip and clattered across the floor and out of reach. "Likewise," He said smugly and then laughed.

They both lay on the floor for a moment, panting and laughing as they tried to recover.

Draco helped Hermione to her feet as Zabini unchained Devereux and then they both left the room talking about the duel, Devereux sounded extremely proud and it made Hermione feel slightly happier. Even though she felt battered and bruised emotionally and physically she also felt empowered. She pulled her hand out of Draco's sharply.

"You really went all out on old Dimitri there; you looked like you were going to kill him." He joked but she wasn't in the mood for jokes she just looked at him coldly.

"I was pretending he was you." She said viciously as she burned her eyes into his. He didn't respond he just held her angry gaze with his dark one. She turned to leave but he grabbed her arm so fast Hermione hadn't even seen him move.

"And just where do you think you're going?" He hissed as he leant closer to her. "You think you can kill me?" He pulled out his wand and shoved it into Hermione's hand. "Go ahead and try." He whispered.

Hermione gripped the wand tight in her hand and looked into his dark, angry eyes. He leant in closer and Hermione's heart skipped a beat, she felt the urge to move backwards but stood her ground and gripped Draco's wand even tighter. "Go on, kill me." He whispered and the words sent shivers down Hermione's spine.

She slowly brought the wand up and pointed it at Draco's neck, she could kill him now and end all of the wizarding world's problems, well most of them anyway. She could free her friends and live a normal life without Draco.

 _Without Draco._

The thought echoed around her mind as she looked into his eyes and pointed the wand firmly at his throat. Thoughts rapidly flashed through her mind, thoughts of her and Draco, her and Harry, Ginny, all of her friends, all of the people he had harmed and all of the people who were suffering because of him. Then she thought about how gentle and caring he'd been when she'd gave herself to him, at one point she did care for him, he hadn't been the cold person he usually was, he was perfect.

Her hand started to shake and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly as if he wanted to smirk and Hermione dug the tip of the wand harder into his throat.

"You know the spell, princess." He said darkly and her hand started to tremble more as tears prickled the back of her eyes. She was losing the battle against her thoughts. She loosened her grip on Draco's wand and it fell to the floor with a clatter, he grabbed her wrists and pulled her close to him as a devilish smirk graced his features. "I knew you wouldn't do it." He said smugly as he pulled her close to him and put his lips close to her ear and she trembled as she felt his breath against her skin. "Don't you ever talk like that again, do you understand me?" He whispered softly but Hermione sensed the warning thick in his tone.

She nodded her head slowly and he released her sharply causing her to stumble and turned away to leave. He was right, she couldn't do it. She couldn't end his life even if it did mean winning the war against dark magic.


	17. Chapter 17

Hermione woke up from an unsettled sleep and wasn't shocked to see Draco wasn't beside her; however she was surprised to see Blaise sitting on the sofa across the room. "Blaise?" She asked uncertainly as she sat up in the bed.

"Just on watch." He said simply and smoothly but didn't look at her.

"Where's Draco?" She asked as she looked at him suspiciously.

"Urgent business." He said and then turned to look in her direction and noticed the suspicious look on her face. "You're right to be cautious of me, you can't trust anyone." He said simply and she tensed up. "That's your first lesson from me."

"Lesson?" She asked sharply.

"Yes, I'm going to show you the ins and outs of how we do things, I'm going to teach you how to be a respected leader." He explained.

"You're going to teach me how to act like a respected pureblood you mean?" She spat.

"Partly," He admitted with a nod. "After all that is what you'll be once you marry into the Malfoy family, if not by blood then by title." He said and the concept sent shivers down Hermione's spine. "From what I'm told you're already doing a delightful job."

She went into the bathroom and deliberately took as long as she could to get ready. When she went back into the bedroom she could tell it had annoyed him. He'd gathered a large pile of books and scrolls and had spread them out on the coffee table ready for them to begin.

They went over countless pureblood traditions and etiquette, Hermione found the subject boring but couldn't help her thirst for knowledge as she soaked up every piece of information he taught her.

They had been at it for hours and Blaise had begun to look even more bored than she was. "Isn't there something more useful you could be teaching me?" She asked impatiently.

"This is probably the most useful bit of training you could receive. You're reputation being slandered could single handily be our downfall."

"Don't give me ideas, Zabini." She advised as she looked him dead in the eye.

He looked at her coldly and took a deep breath. "He will _kill_ you if you betray him. First however he will kill every single person you have ever loved and will most likely give you a front seat so you didn't miss any of the action." Blaise explained darkly. "Don't be a fool, Prewett. He will make each and every one of your worst nightmares come true. It doesn't matter who you are." He warned.

"He loves me." She said in defence not really knowing why she had been so hurt by his words, or why she'd even used that to defend herself, she felt stupid as he glared at her.

"Exactly, and that's a very dangerous position to be in." He explained. "If I were you I'd think carefully about where your loyalties lie before you get yourself killed."

The door of the room clicked open and Draco stepped in and Hermione looked away as soon as she noticed who it was, she was still angry about the way he'd been towards her the day before.

Blaise just left the books on the table and left the room without a word. Draco sat down beside her. She didn't know why Blaise had left so suddenly. The advice he'd given her was still fresh in her mind as the warning echoed around her thoughts making her feel uneasy. She quickly picked up a book and started to inspect it.

"Still not talking to me then?" He asked plainly but Hermione just ignored him as she sharply turned a page and continued to read. "You're unhappy about what I said yesterday?" He asked impatiently. Hermione just wanted him to leave again; she wasn't in the mood to argue with him. "I'm sorry." He said solemnly but she just continued to read as if she was interested in the book and was annoyed by his interruptions.

He reached out his hand and started flicking the pages of the book to break Hermione's focus. "Come on, I know you're not really interested in The Pureblood Point of View." He teased and as she tried to bat him away he grabbed her hand gently and held it softly in his own. "Please forgive me." He said sincerely and she looked at him for the first time. His face was soft and caring as it had been that day when she properly saw him last, when he was the Draco she cared about and not the monster he was most of the time.

"There's nothing to forgive." She said simply and then turned her attention back to the book.

He pulled it gently away from her hands and placed it back onto the table. "We can't avoid this forever. What we did the other day was supposed to bring us closer not drive us apart." He said as he pulled her face to look at his. "I've never felt closer to anyone and I'm so grateful that you gave yourself to me, that I'm the one person on this entire planet to have that bond with you. I get the feeling you regret it and that's the last thing I wanted. It made me snap I guess when you said you said you'd changed your mind, especially after that."

She didn't know what to say, these had been the words she'd longed to hear since the moment it had happened but it was too late now, the shame and the guilt had taken over everything she was.

He pulled her into a gentle kiss and as much as she wanted to pull away from him she couldn't, she was completely hooked. The doubt melted away and for the first time in days she actually felt normal again, until he pulled away and the guilt set firmly back in place as Hermione looked into his eyes. Normally they gave so much away, she could see his anger and his fear but not this time; today she couldn't work him out. He was being kind, but Blaise' warning was ringing loud in her mind. She couldn't let her guard down no matter how much she wanted to, this was all part of his plan to manipulate her.

"It's Charlotte's funeral tomorrow." He said blankly with an expressionless face.

"So soon?"

"I just wanted to get it out of the way." He said and seemed to drop deep into thought. He was silent for a few moments and Hermione noticed he looked troubled again, vulnerable even. "I just can't stop thinking about how close I came to burying you too. I just couldn't do that." He said and seemed to struggle to speak every word as he thought against memories from that night.

"Don't think like that." She said softly and gently squeezed his hand.

He nodded his head and stiffened up again. "Will you come with me? I don't think I could face it without you." He asked and as the words sank in she stiffened up too.

"If it will help you feel better." She said plainly, this was probably all part of his plan to manipulate her again.

"I've asked for a small gathering but she was a Greengrass, she had a big family and many friends, there's not a pureblood family in the country that won't be there."

"But, what abou-."

"We'll have guards and I'll give you your training wand while we're out in the open." He interrupted knowing what she was going to say. Of course the Parkinsons and the Notts would both be there but Draco wasn't stupid, he just needed something solid and he would bring them both down and make them pay dearly for what they'd done but for now at least, he needed to play it cool until he knew for definite it had anything to do with either of them. "Besides it's a funeral, I'm sure no one there will be in the mood to fight."

"I just hope you're right." Hermione said unconvinced.

"I promise you, nobody will ever hurt us again."

* * *

Hermione stood in the snow in her black dress and black coat and held onto Draco's arm uncomfortably. He hadn't said a single word to her since they'd left the Manor that morning. Hermione looked out at the crowd of people surrounding Charlotte's casket and noticed that over half of them were staring at either her or Draco. She turned her attention to him as she felt uncomfortable under the judgemental stares of Charlottes family and friends. She looked at the small snowflakes that clung to the material of his black coat and lay gently in his hair. He looked as graceful and as emotionless as he often did in public.

He noticed her looking at him out of the corner of his eye and looked down at her, her cheeks were rosy from the cold and the frost delicately caught her breath as she gestured ever so slightly towards the source of her concern.

"They blame me for her death." He whispered so quietly she almost didn't hear it, then he simply returned his attention to the casket as it was lowered into the ground.

She continued to look at him; she could feel his grief even though he didn't show it. She was starting to feel hollow and she wanted to cry but she didn't even know the girl who was currently being laid to rest, she could feel the emotions but they didn't belong to her. She held onto his arm tightly and put her head gently against his shoulder. "It's not your fault Draco." She whispered as quietly as she could, she knew he'd heard when he reached up to the hand that was holding his arm and squeezed it lovingly in appreciation as watched Charlotte's casket disappear into the ground.

As the casket came to rest close friends and family approached the grave to throw flowers and say a few words, they all threw red and white roses until the casket could barely be seen under the sea off petals. Just as it was about to move on Draco turned to Blaise and took something from him and then gracefully walked over to the grave. He threw a bright yellow rose onto the bed of red and white flowers. He looked for a moment in silence as if not noticing the eyes burning into him from every direction as he said his final goodbye.

He took a step back and addressed the crowd softly as Charlotte's family had all done before him. "I've known Charlotte all of my life, she helped shape the person I am today. I've placed a yellow rose upon her casket today to represent what she meant to me. She was the sun in my life that shone through the darkness and the blood. She helped me to see when I lost my way, as she did for countless others. Because of this she was murdered." The word made the crowd of onlookers shift uncomfortably and Hermione noticed Narcissa out of the corner of her eye looking as expressionless as Draco had looked before. "I will not rest until this killer is caught, and I will inflict just as much pain onto them as they have forced upon us." He said calmly and then turned his back on the casket and started walking gracefully and calmly towards Hermione. He was still composed but Hermione could tell that his grief was starting to get the better of him.

He stood beside her again and she held his arm tightly as she felt his pain inside her heart. She didn't speak as they started to pour the dirt over the casket. She decided to scan the crowd again and she quickly locked eyes with Pansy who was looking at her hatefully as she stood with what looked like her father who actually looked rather upset and uninterested in her and Draco. Hermione looked at her for a moment and then turned to Draco; he noticed her attention and placed his hand back onto hers as she held his arm gently. Hermione stroked his hand softly to comfort him as she looked back to Pansy again and almost smirked as she noticed she had turned a nasty shade of red and was staring at her more hatefully than before. She and Pansy had never gotten along and after the years of bullying Hermione was happy to get her cheap revenge, she might as well get something good out of this damned marriage.

It was over; the crowd had begun talking quietly to one another. Hermione stood with Devereux on one side of her and Draco on her other. They'd remained still as the crowd started to move and watched as grass immediately grew over the dirt of the fresh grave and flowers formed around her gravestone; it really had been a good send off. Charlotte's parents had thanked Draco, as had her closest friends as they passed by. Not everyone here blamed him.

Hermione's attention was caught when she heard what sounded like Blaise block the path of a man seeking Draco.

"I just wish to pay my condolences." Said a gruff voice Hermione didn't recognize.

Draco turned his head in Blaise' direction and nodded his head. Blaise let the man though and he walked up to stand beside Draco.

"Such a terrible shame." The tall dark haired man said as he looked upon the grave.

"What do you really want, Nott?" Draco asked impatiently and Hermione's heart sank. It was Theo's father. She gripped Draco's arm tighter.

"I've come to tell you, that the pain you're feeling right now isn't nearly what you really deserve." Nott said quietly and Hermione felt Draco's anger beginning to rise. She noticed his hand wasn't on hers anymore and she glanced down and saw that it was instead gipping his wand beneath his coat. "Everyone you love is going to be taken from you, the way you took my Theo. Only then will I be satisfied, but to see you grieving today has been a mighty good show." He said darkly.

Devereux quickly grabbed Hermione and pulled her away from Draco just as he flicked around and clasped his hand tight around Nott's throat.

"Now, now Draco, you don't want to cause a scene." Nott warned as he smirked at Draco.

"How dare you think you can talk to me like that!?" Draco hissed as he tightened his grip on the man's throat. "You seem to have forgotten, I am your Lord. It's about time you remember your place."

Hermione noticed Narcissa and Charlottes parents looking over at them with concern as Draco strangled the older man at the foot of the grave.

Hermione cautiously approached Draco flicking Devereux away as he tried to pull her back. She put her hand gently on his shoulder "Draco, we need to go home now, you don't want to do this here." She said softly but Draco noticed the concern and desperation in her voice and automatically loosened his grip slightly allowing the man some air.

"That's right Draco; listen to your little half-breed bitch." The man spat and Draco instantly head-butted him hard in the face causing his nose to crack and the pure white snow at the foot of Charlottes grave to be stained red as he fell to the ground.

Hermione tried to reach for him again but was pulled away roughly by Devereux. "It isn't safe here, we need to go." He said firmly as he tried to pull her away.

"No!" She said through gritted teeth as she struggled against him. "I won't go!" She said and reached for the wand Draco had given her and she stung Devereux' arm with a jinx causing him to release her from his grip.

She ran back over to where Draco now stood pointing his wand at Nott as he writhed in pain on the ground in the blood stained snow. Hermione couldn't stand to see the sight of the man being tortured so looked at Draco. It's like he didn't even notice she was there as she pleaded with him to stop. His eyes were glazed over and his features were heavy with hate and anger as he concentrated on the curse.

"Draco you need to stop!" Hermione shouted and then grabbed his wand out of desperation. It felt like fire had swallowed her whole arm as she broke the curse. She hissed in pain and then looked back to Draco who had definitely noticed her now. His eyes were dark and his rage was now pointed at her.

He pulled her closely to him and she flinched as he touched her arm but he wasn't rough with her, he just leant in close enough so only she could hear and whispered. "You do something stupid like that again and I will kill you." He warned and then kissed her lightly on the cheek before he softly pushed her away from him. "Blaise please see to my fiancé, she's still a little new to all of this." He said and then turned his attention back to Nott who was trying to desperately push himself up from the ground.

Draco walked over to him casually and kicked him in the face causing him to fall flat onto his back again. He didn't care about the crowd of onlookers. Hermione watched in horror as Blaise held her tightly.

"You killed her didn't you?" Draco asked as he loomed over him. "You're the one who put her in the ground and then you revel in the pain you've caused?" He said in disgust and then spat at him. He scanned the area around him and then looked back to Nott with a devious smirk on his face. "Let me return the favour." He said and then fired a spell that bound his arms and legs together.

"My Lord, it wasn't me!" He said desperately as he tried to escape.

Draco held out his wand and pointed it at the man lying helplessly on the ground. "You're a liar." Then with a forceful flick Nott flew into a nearby open grave with a thud. Draco walked slowly and gracefully over to the grave and peered inside as the man lay at the bottom pleading for forgiveness.

Draco just looked at him with no expression and then pointed his wand to the pile of dirt next to the grave and it started to fall on top of him.

"Draco, no!" Hermione screamed but the words didn't come out as loud as she wanted them to, they were held back by fear. She listened as the man screamed and pleaded for Draco to have mercy and tears filled her eyes. The screams began to get muffled and Hermione couldn't take it anymore. She reached for the wand Draco had given her and Blaise grabbed her arm roughly.

"Remember what I said." He warned quietly. "Think carefully about where your loyalties lie." He looked her dead in the eyes before releasing his grip on her wrist. She put her arm back down to her side and Blaise nodded in approval and then looked back to Draco.

Just then a woman stepped from the crowd with her wand out. "That's my husband!" She shrieked hysterically and pointed her wand at Draco. Hermione quickly reached for the wand again and just as Draco turned around she disarmed the crazed woman before she could fire any spells at him. The woman looked to her hand dumbfounded and noticed she no longer had a wand, as the sound of her husband's cries was finally stifled by the dirt.

Everyone looked to Hermione in shock, and then another spell erupted from the crowd and chains wrapped tightly around the woman's ankles. Narcissa stepped out with her wand pointed and looked down on the woman with disgust. "How dare you raise your wand to the Dark Lord?" She asked sharply but the woman didn't reply, she just looked down at her feet and sobbed.

Draco stepped forwards and pointed his wand at her, he didn't say the words but Hermione knew exactly what he was doing as soon as she saw the green light glow briefly at the tip of his wand. She closed her eyes quickly but she could still see the blast of green behind her eyelids and heard the woman's lifeless body slump onto the ground. Hermione opened her eyes to find Narcissa had returned to the crowd leaving Draco stood in the spotlight of the sea of shocked faces, nobody made a sound as Draco regained his composure.

"I regret having to do that here." He said softly and calmly as if the pent up frustration had simply faded away- Like his blood lust had been quenched. "I'm sorry Mr and Mrs Greengrass but vengeance has no schedule." He said simply and they both nodded in complete understanding, they seemed truly devoted to Draco.

Hermione noticed that she was holding tightly onto Blaise and quickly flicked him away in embarrassment. That had been one of the toughest things she'd ever had to witness.

"It's always difficult at first." Blaise said smoothly, Hermione may have even detected a hint of kindness.

"I'm not like you!" She spat ignoring his half attempt to comfort her.

He laughed darkly. "You could've fooled me, you've just helped your future husband brutally murder a grieving woman who had just lost her husband and son." The hint of kindness in his voice was now gone.

She felt a stab of guilt in her chest worse than anything she'd ever felt before and she could feel her heart beating in her ears. "B-but, she was going to-."

"Kill the Darkest Wizard of all time? Aren't your people lining up to do the same thing?" Blaise interrupted and she felt another stab of guilt. "Wouldn't you have tired it yourself before he got you into bed?"

Hermione couldn't breathe; she had really just helped end that poor woman's life because she stood up against evil out of grief for her family.

"It's not a bad thing love, I'm actually glad you're finally seeing sense. The happier you keep him, the happier we'll all be." He explained as Hermione tried to get her breath. She flinched as she felt a hand grab her arm and turned to see Draco looking concerned.

"What's the matter?" He asked but Hermione couldn't respond, she could barely control her breathing.

"She's just a little overwhelmed; maybe you should take her home?" Blaise said and then walked away.

Draco held both of her hands gently in his. "Thank you for your assistance." He said but it didn't make her feel better, it made her feel sick.

"I wish I hadn't, I should have just let her shoot you down dead for murdering her husband and son. How could you?" She said quietly and nastily as she pulled her hands from his.

He took a deep breath. "You're on _very_ thin ice." Draco warned and then grabbed her arm subtlety but roughly, trying not to cause a scene. "After how you've behaved today you should be begging for forgiveness. You don't know how lucky you are for disarming that mad witch. You should be grateful you had the opportunity to make it up to me after your little stunt, grabbing my wand in the middle of an unforgivable curse!" He said quietly, but his voice was once again dripping with anger.

She felt like she had a million things she wanted to say to him but she pushed them all back. There was a time and a place and this definitely wasn't it. Or at least that's what she told herself, she wouldn't admit that it was fear that held her back.

* * *

Hermione didn't sleep at all that night. She had kept her distance from Draco and he'd eventually fallen to sleep. She had replayed the images from the funeral over and over again in her head. She didn't want to but again and again she heard the screams of Theo's father as Draco buried him alive. She saw the defeated look on his mother's face as Hermione took away the only thing she had to defend herself, for Draco to coldheartedly murder her too.

She looked over to the man who was lying next to her soundly sleeping, he was bringing pain and suffering to so many and not only did she not kill him when she'd had the perfect opportunity, she defended him when someone brave enough did stand up, and now that person was dead. What the hell was she thinking?

She didn't even know why she'd done it, something just took over and she'd cast the spell before she'd even thought about it.

She looked at him and could feel the space between the two of them and it made her body cold and start to ache. She hated it but she wanted him to be closer, it felt like he was the only person who could heal her wounds, even if he was the person who caused them.

She looked away from him and at the clock across the room, it was five in the morning and Hermione couldn't take it anymore. She slid out of the bed as quietly as she could and moved silently across the room. She opened the glass door of Draco's liquor cabinet and picked out a bottle at random. The glass clinked together as she removed the bottle and she stopped suddenly. She looked over her shoulder to see Draco was still asleep and slowly released the breath she was holding.

She took her bottle and a glass quietly over to sofa and poured herself a generous amount. She looked at the glass for a moment considering what she was doing and then took a couple of unsure but large gulps. It felt like fire going down Hermione's throat and the sensation made her want to cough it back up again but she held it back with everything she had. She took another large gulp.

"Morning alcoholism, so classy." She heard Draco say and she spat pretty much the whole mouthful onto her lap as she jumped at the sound of his voice.

She looked up to find him watching her with a condescending look on his face.

"I need something to help me sleep." She hissed and turned her attention back to the glass.

"Put that glass down, you can get through this without alcohol." He said as he took a step closer.

Hermione didn't listen she just took another large gulp like he hadn't said anything at all. He took another step forward, Hermione knew he was close now but didn't look in his direction, she knew if she looked into her eyes she would most likely fall apart.

"I said put the glass down. No woman of mine is going to drown her sorrows at five in the morning like this. I'll make you a sleeping draught." He said calmly but Hermione could hear him trying to keep his cool.

"Too bad I'm not your woman, and I don't need your help I'm doing perfectly fine by myself." She said simply and then brought the glass back up to her lips but Draco slapped it viscously out of her hand, it smashed against the fireplace causing glass and liquor to erupt everywhere.

She stood up in anger and looked into his face properly for the first time, his eyes were as angry as she'd expected them to be and they unnerved her just as much as she knew they would. The words she was about to spit at him got stuck in her throat as his dark eyes seemed to suck the bravery out of her. She just stared into his face as she clenched her fists tightly remembering Blaise' warnings and hearing Draco's threats from the previous day.

He didn't bother to say anything else; he could tell that she had already realized what a mistake she'd made so he just continued to stare into her soul as she struggled against her own thoughts. He noticed her relax slightly and took advantage of her lowered defences as he stole her into a kiss.

By the time he'd finished she seemed to have completely relaxed and Draco looked into her eyes again which still had a hint of anger behind them. "I'm not your enemy Hermione; you'll do well to remember that." He said as he brushed her face lightly with his knuckles. "You and I are a team; you made sure everyone knew that yesterday when you openly defended me from harm. I know you care about me." He said softly.

"How could I care about a monster?" She spat as the bravery swept back through her.

"If I'm such a monster why did you protect me?" He asked calmly as if the words hadn't offended him in the slightest and then smirked when Hermione had nothing to say. She did care about him, whether she liked it or not. "You need to stop fighting your feelings for me." He said quietly as he moved closer.

"What happened yesterday- I don't think I can live with myself." She said breathlessly and his face softened.

He pulled her close to him and held her gently in his arms. "It will get better, I promise." He said softly.

She sank into his comfort as he soothed her haunting thoughts with his gentle words and soft touch.

"I think this is the ideal time for your next training session, I'll be running this one personally."

She didn't feel like training but she definitely wasn't in the mood to argue with him again. So she got ready in silence and then once Blaise and Devereux had arrived she followed them all through the Manor until they reached their destination.

It was a part of the Manor she hadn't been to before and lacked the care and attention that kept the rest of the place shining. They stopped in front of a small metal - out of place door. Blaise clicked it open and then he and Devereux stepped inside. Draco stood and waited for Hermione to step through the door before he followed closing it behind him.

The room was in complete darkness and Hermione couldn't see anyone she'd entered the room with. She heard chains dragging against the floor not too far away and it made her uneasy. Draco's hand came to rest on her back and her startled breath seemed to echo through the room.

"You're okay." Draco said softly as the room filled with light, the light was harsh and bright as it seemed to reflect off every white tile which covered the walls and floors.

Hermione's eyes were instantly drawn to a dark figure of a man in a giant lump in the centre of the room. He stirred as the light disturbed him and Draco handed Hermione a wand and pushed her forwards slightly.

The man heard the movement and lifted up his head, Hermione looked through the dark matted hair that covered his blood stained face and saw that it was the Death Eater who had captured her in the forest. Only now he wasn't so vicious looking, he looked broken as he lay on floor, which was smeared with his own blood.

"What the hell is this?" She asked anxiously as she tried to take a step backwards, Draco kept his hand pressed firmly against her back to keep her in place.

"I believe you know our little friend here." Draco explained as Blaise and Devereux moved to stand in opposite corners of the room behind them. "I'm going to teach you how to defeat the greatest evil you'll ever face- your conscience." He whispered. "You need to understand that some people deserve to suffer."

Hermione looked at the man in horror; he looked like he'd been severely beaten and tormented as he looked back at her with shaky eyes. "Look at him Draco! Nobody deserves to be treated like this."

"He's a rapist, you know that." Draco said simply.

Hermione swallowed hard as she looked at the poor man bound and broken on the floor in front of her. "So what's your point?" She asked and then looked to Draco.

"I want you to make him pay for his crimes." He explained. "You need to learn how to use the unforgivables and you need to understand that these things are necessary."

"What? Are you crazy?" She asked in disbelief as she took a step away from him. He just looked at her seriously as she glared at him. "No, I'm not going to do that." She said and tried to give the wand back to Draco but he just stood with his arms folded and looked at it as she held it out. "Someone take this damn wand away from me! I'm not doing this!" She said desperately as she walked over to Devereux to hand it to him instead but he just looked right through her as if she wasn't even there.

"Stop running from this." Draco said sternly and she looked back at him in disgust and walked back over to him.

"He's a human being, look at the state of him already!" She spat. "Do you think he might have learned his lesson?" She asked and looked him in the eyes.

He laughed and shook his head. "The fact that you always see the good in people is one of the things that makes you so amazing, but it will also be your downfall. This man will never learn."

"You don't know that." She said stubbornly.

"Prove me wrong." He said simply. She looked at him for a moment, this was a challenge. She looked to Blaise and Devereux but they just stared ahead into the distance as if they weren't even in the room.

She looked at the man on the floor; he was still looking at her miserably through his black eye and messy hair. He looked so defeated and frightened. She slowly approached him and when he curled up in fear and began to tremble she placed her wand onto the floor and held her hands out. "I'm not going to hurt you." She said gently and took another step towards him. "I want to help you."

The Death Eater looked up at her and relief seemed to wash over his face as she got closer. She placed her hand on his shoulder and Hermione felt him relax under her touch. She went to look over her shoulder to look at Draco smugly but as soon as she let her guard down he picked her up by her throat and slammed her backwards onto the floor as he growled like a rabid animal.

The air was completely knocked out of her as she lay beneath his clutches on the blood stained floor. Spells where fired and the man was soon on the floor crumpled into a ball as Blaise used what seemed like the Cruciatus Curse on him.

Hermione looked up at Draco who was walking slowly towards her with an annoyingly smug grin on his face. "Your first mistake was separating from your wand." He said as he kicked it over to her. "I thought you were smarter than that." He reached out his hand and pulled her to her feet.

"Hmm, so did I until I was bought here." She said under her breath as she dusted herself off and then winced in pain and grabbed her shoulder, it felt badly bruised.

"Your second mistake was trusting a Death Eater." He said as he watched her struggle.

"No, I believe that was my first mistake, a mistake I made days ago when I slept with you." She spat and Draco looked at Devereux and Blaise uncomfortably and then looked back to Hermione with a cold look on his face and took a deep calming breath.

"We're leaving now." He said calmly but Hermione could tell he was angry. He pulled her out of the room leaving Blaise and Devereux inside.

She shifted uncomfortably in his grip as he glared at her. "I'm not going to tell you again, don't _ever_ talk to me like that in front of people." She didn't respond, she knew what she'd said was below the belt but he had just pushed her too far. How could he possibly think that making her torture someone else would actually make her feel better?

He walked her back to his room in silence and just as they got to the door he stopped. "I have an urgent meeting; will you be alright for the afternoon? Devereux will be here shortly to guard the room but with the Nott's gone I don't think he'll really be needed." He said absentmindedly as he stroked her arm. She just nodded her head, she didn't feel like talking to him. He took an irritated breath but spoke calmly "Look Hermione, I know you're angry because of the things I've done but I need you to understand that these things must happen, to ensure our survival if nothing else."

"If you think that choosing who lives and who dies is necessary for your survival then I don't think I will ever understand. The unforgivable curses are just that; _Unforgivable."_

"I'm going to help you understand, I thought you said you trusted me?" He asked as he held her shoulders.

"You told me not to trust Death Eaters." She fired and felt quite satisfied in using his own words against him.

"I was the same person when you slept with me as I am now and you didn't seem to mind then! Stop fighting me." He said firmly but stroked her cheek lightly.

His gentle touch sent shivers down her spine but she tried to fight the feeling. "Okay." She said quietly, what else could she say? He was right after all. The triumphant feeling she'd felt for a brief moment had been extinguished. She had been defeated once again.


	18. Chapter 18

She walked into the room and shut the door heavily behind her causing it to slam. She saw a small blonde girl on the other side of the room with a bucket of water cleaning the floor who almost jumped out of her skin at the sound of her entering the room.

"Luna?" Hermione asked and ran over to her quickly and picked her up of the floor. She examined her face for signs of injury and even though it wasn't too bad Hermione was still sad to see a fading bruise around her eye. "Luna what are you doing? You're a pureblood, why are you cleaning our floor?" Hermione asked as she looked into her dreamy eyes with concern.

" _Our floor?"_ Luna asked curiously and Hermione was stunned silent in embarrassment as she looked away from her judgemental gaze. "And since when has blood-status made any difference to you? Would you be less surprised to see me if I were muggle-born?" She asked simply but held no animosity in her voice; it was as calm and as curious as ever.

"The world has changed Luna." Hermione said as she looked back into her eyes.

Luna considered her words for a moment. "So have you, it appears." She said softly. "Forgive me, My Lady, but I must finish cleaning the floor, I wouldn't want anyone to be punished for my tardiness." Then bowed softly and knelt back down onto the floor.

Hermione dropped to her knees beside her "I'm your friend Luna; I'm trying to help you all believe me."

"We only came here to rescue you." Luna said simply as she dunked her sponge into the bucket of water. "Now we're prisoners and you're marrying our captor." She said and then started to clean the floor again.

"It's not how it looks." Hermione tried to explain but Luna seemed lost as she moved the sponge around in delicate patterns.

"Lord Malfoy visits Harry occasionally, he tells him everything. We know you're one of them now." Luna said as she scrubbed and didn't really acknowledge Hermione's presence anymore.

Hermione noticed something around Luna's wrist, a silver snake. She grabbed Luna's arm and inspected it carefully, it was identical to hers.

"Where did you get this?" Hermione asked as she looked at it closely.

"All of the prisoners who are permitted to leave their cells have one; each is linked with a different Death Eater. It enables them to know where you are whenever they desire and it makes escape impossible."

Hermione pushed herself into a sitting position and folded her jeans up slightly on her right leg. "Look Luna, I'm a prisoner too!" She said desperately as Luna looked at the snake around her ankle with wide eyes. "I'm trapped here like everyone else! Who is yours linked with?"

Luna considered Hermione for a moment as she sat with her in the puddle of water on the hard wood floor. "I don't know, he's a French man. Who is yours linked to?"

"It's linked to Malfoy himself." She said and Luna looked sadly into her eyes, as if she had started to understand. Hermione looked around the room to make sure they were still alone. "Yours is linked to Devereux, Draco's third in command since Nott-" Hermione trailed off. "Who else has these Luna?" She whispered.

"I'm the only one from the Order who's been out of the dungeons as far as I know." She said and then looked at Hermione curiously as she thought.

"We need to find a way to get these off before the wedding." Hermione said quietly and Luna looked at her in shock.

"You're not going through with it?" Luna said quietly as if she was scared they might be over heard.

Hermione shook her head unsure of what to say. "I don't know, Luna." Then she looked back at her engagement ring. "I've got to think of something, I feel like I'm losing my grip on who I really am."

Luna reached out and took Hermione's hand in hers breaking her eye contact with the ring. "From what you've shown me today, you're still the Hermione I used to know. I trust you."

Tears started to fill Hermione's eyes and she looked down at their hands. "I've done some terrible things, Luna." She said in a cracked voice. She was so happy to finally see someone she knew she could really trust and she longed for some words of reassurance.

"Sometimes we all have to do terrible things, just don't lose your way."

"I already lost my way, and now I've done things that I can never take back." She said as the tears started to fall from her eyes.

Luna just held her hand tightly as she cried, war was a terrible thing.

The door opened and they both jumped away from each other and Hermione covered the snake quickly as Draco and Devereux stepped into the room.

"Dimitri, may I ask why the Lovegood girl is here?" Draco asked impatiently.

"Forgive me My Lord, I didn't realise the training would be over so soon so I asked her to clean in here while it was vacant." Devereux explained carefully.

Draco nodded as if satisfied with his reason. "Get her out." He demanded and Devereux walked over and pulled Luna to her feet and then led her out of the room. Hermione remained seated with a tearstained face in the puddle of water caused by Luna's cleaning as she watched them leave. She didn't want to look up at Draco; she knew he wasn't happy with her before any of this so figured he'd be damn right furious that she'd been talking to the prisoners again.

"Why are you crying?" He asked plainly as he looked down on her.

She wiped her eyes with her sleeve and looked up at him. She couldn't afford to be weak and stupid anymore. She had to do something. "She hates me." She said just as simply as she composed herself. "She called me a Death Eater and a whore."

She noticed Draco clench his fists and she stood up and touched his hands gently. "I understand why she's angry, she'll come around eventually." Draco just looked at her with a confused look on his face, at least he wasn't angry. "I don't want anything bad to happen to her, I just don't think I could stand to see her around the Manor again. That was too hard and it's made me doubt us all over again." She elaborated sadly.

He considered what she was saying suspiciously for a moment as she looked at him with her sad, glassy eyes. "She will be stripped of her duties immediately and confined back to her cell." He said and then held her hands.

If she was stripped of her right to leave her cell she would have no need for the silver snake, which would at least give Luna chance of escaping this place if the time ever came. Hermione felt bad but she knew what she was doing would be for the best, eventually. Seeing her friend again had reminded her what was at stake here. She had to stop letting her emotions get in the way, she just had to play the game in order to get what she wanted, they were at war and her feelings or her pride didn't matter anymore.

She smiled as he stroked his hands softly. "Thank you." She said sweetly.

"I'd do anything to see that smile." He said which caused her to blush and look away. "I need to leave I only came back here to grab something, can we spend the evening together?"

She looked back into his eyes as he waited for her answer. "I'd like that." She said simply but kindly and he smiled and gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek before turning away. He grabbed something small out of one of his cabinets and then left the room.

Hermione pulled off her wet jeans and sat on the sofa in her underwear and comfortable tank top and wrapped a fluffy blanket around her arms. Security had died down a lot after what happened to the Nott's and she was happy to have a minute to herself.

She tried to think of a plan while she had a second to spare but her mind kept on flicking to the subject of her and Draco. She despised everything he stood for and the vile things he did but when they were alone together she felt safe and at home. She felt like she was in a constant war against her contradicting feelings and it drained her emotionally. She wished he would stop with all of the games, and would stop with his conquest to rule over the magical world, she wished he would lose his thirst for blood but she knew deep down that nothing could stop him. She just wanted him to be the person he'd been when they had been _together._ She wished she'd never been caught up in any of this mess, that she could just live a normal life. She thought of how things would be without him and to her surprise felt a hollow emptiness fill her body at the thought.

Her lack of sleep was finally beginning to drag her down, it was only two in the afternoon but Hermione got up from the sofa and closed the curtains blocking out the bright winter sun and then returned to the fluffy blanket and wrapped herself up in it as she allowed herself to finally drift off.

* * *

Hermione was woken from her vicious nightmares of the Nott's by the sound of the bedroom door closing. She darted upright in a breathless panic but the room was pitch-black. She listened hard and tried to control her breathing as the cold air of the room sent shivers through her body.

She heard movement from behind her and quickly but quietly slipped off the sofa onto her feet and faced the direction of the noise but couldn't see a thing through the darkness. She moved carefully past the coffee table and into what she knew was a bit of open space in the room, she tried to move as quietly as she could but the floorboards creaked unhappily beneath her steps. She tried hard to focus but it didn't matter how hard she looked she couldn't see a single thing.

She knew she definitely wasn't alone in the room and could sense someone watching her. Even in the darkness she felt exposed and regretted the choice not to put anything else on before she went to sleep.

What if Draco was wrong? What if the Nott's weren't responsible? There were no guards and she didn't have a wand to protect herself.

She heard a knock and jumped at the closeness of the sound, she needed to get to the door but it was too far away and there were too many obstacles in the darkness. She imagined the room in her mind, if she was right the door for the bathroom was just along the wall, if she could follow it she could get into there and lock the door while she found light. She had to do something she was a sitting duck.

She moved quietly towards the wall, she grazed it lightly with her fingers as she kept her eyes desperately fixed into the blackness of the room.

She started to move into the direction of the bathroom but she was suddenly pushed back hard against the wall. She struggled as the figure grabbed her wrists and held them tightly against the wall. She felt him close to her face and relaxed slightly just before his lips crashed into hers. Even though she couldn't see, she knew it was Draco. She knew the feel of his body against hers, she recognised his touch against her wrists, she knew the taste of his kiss as he washed away all of her worries and cares.

He let go of her wrists and pulled her top over her head, her heart was beating fast and she couldn't think straight. What the hell was he thinking? He pinned her arms back against the wall as he kissed and nibbled on the side of her neck.

"Draco what are you-?" Hermione tried to ask but he just kissed her lips to cut her off and then let go of one of her arms to hold her head in place as he kissed her. His scent hypnotised her and she felt herself slowly slipping away, to the exact place he wanted her and there was nothing she could do to stop herself. This is where she needed to be, this is what she needed to feel alive again, to feel an emotion that wasn't trying to rot her from the inside out.

She moved her arm to touch him and noticed his shirt was unbuttoned; she slid her hand underneath it and around his back and pulled him closer against her as she kissed him back. His skin against her fingertips was like fire. He slipped his tongue into her mouth and she let him explore as she soaked up his taste.

He pulled away suddenly leaving her leaning breathlessly against the wall looking into the darkness. A dim white light appeared down by Hermione's tummy and she briefly saw Draco's handsome features and lust filled eyes framed by his messy platinum hair as he stood closely in front of her before they were once again plunged into darkness. He pinned her arms back against the wall as he kissed and nibbled on the side of her neck.

Part of her wanted to stop but it was too late, she was already drowning in everything he was. She had been caught off guard and she had been sucked into a tornado of feelings that she couldn't escape.

He made hot, passionate love to her against the wall as he held her effortlessly in his arms like her weight was nothing to him. It hurt at first but she eventually pushed past it and allowed him to make her feel things for him that she couldn't understand, not that she wanted to understand anything right now. All of her thoughts were disconnected but she didn't care, she just wanted this moment to swallow her whole and for Draco to be by her side always. The one person she could ever connect with like this, she was drunk off their chemistry and she never wanted to be sober again.

"Promise you'll stay with me forever." He purred onto her neck and then began to kiss it again.

In the back of her mind she knew what he was doing, he was trying to wrap her around his little finger while she was vulnerable, she was dazed and overwhelmed by pleasure as he hit all of the right spots causing her to moan gently, making her realise that around his little finger was exactly where she wanted to be.

"Tell me you're mine." He said gruffly and then pulled almost completely out of her leaving her feeling empty and confused, and her body longing to be one with his again. He put his forehead against hers and she could feel this breath against her face. "Tell me." He whispered softly and the sound of his voice sent tingles through her whole body.

"I'm yours, I will always be yours." She said breathlessly and he stole her into another passion filled kiss as he pushed back into her making her feel whole again.

* * *

Hermione woke up on the sofa lying naked in Draco's arms as he slept soundly beside her. The flames from the fire were dancing peacefully next to them which comforted her.

These moments she shared with Draco were so pure to her, but so sordid and dirty when she really thought about it. She was weak and confused. The feelings of wanting to escape were numb and she couldn't feel them, she didn't want to be anywhere else, but she knew that feeling would change by the next day just as it had before. She just decided to soak up the moment and enjoy what she could.

She moved her head to look into his face but to her annoyance the movement woke him up. He looked down to her with loving eyes and then grinned. "You can't possibly want round three." He said in a half asleep voice and then closed his eyes again. "Even I couldn't manage that, go back to sleep you devil." He joked as he relaxed again.

"I don't want to go to sleep; things will be different in the morning." She said quietly as she rested her head onto his chest again.

"Only if you make it different." He said simply as he pulled her a little closer to him. She didn't know what to say, she just lay on him and listened to his heartbeat. "You could be happy here but your conscience won't allow you to, I know that. I fought the feelings I had for you too, for me it was a battle against my pride and stubbornness." He explained.

"And blood prejudice." Hermione added coldly, she hadn't meant to be short with him but luckily for her he never let it affect the moment.

"Yes –" He admitted. "-Blood prejudice was the thing that always held you just out of reach, I had to push the feelings I had for you away or I'd have been killed just like your father was." Hermione tensed up at the idea but he begun to stoke her arm and it soothed her. "The fact that you're halfblood would never have been enough for my father, but now he's dead and I'm in charge, I can finally embrace how I feel about you, and I've been much happier ever since."

She lay silently in his arms as she soaked up his words and felt his body against hers.

"I know you're lonely, I can feel it." He said quietly and tiredly. "You have me, and you will always have me, I promise." He explained and she looked up at him again causing him to open his eyes. She looked at him in confusion and he gestured to the emerald necklace around her neck and closed his eyes again leaving her to think.

"It's charmed?" She asked as she brought her fingers up to touch the piece of jewellery around her neck. It would explain how she sometimes felt the way Draco felt, maybe it worked both ways.

He shook his head slightly, "I think it's just something to do with the charm I used to prevent you taking it off. I'm looking into it so don't worry." He lied and then opened his eyes again to find her eyeing him suspiciously. He took her hand which was touching the Horcrux and held it in his own. "The way you feel right now, you could feel this way forever you know?" He said and looked deep into her eyes. "Stop fighting." He said and she put her head back down onto his chest and closed her eyes as she listened to his heartbeat again. Maybe he was right.

* * *

Hermione woke up alone on the sofa covered in a blanket as the fire beside her slowly went out, just like her confidence had. Draco was gone which didn't surprise her as much as she thought it would. It amazed her how he always managed to slip away without disturbing her in the slightest, he moved like a ghost when he needed to.

She sat up and winced in pain, she felt like she'd received a beating, she felt sore and bruised as she tried to move. She pushed through the pain and stood up; she walked to the bathroom on shaky legs and started to run a bath. She walked over to the mirror and looked at her refection; she didn't recognise the person looking back at her.

She looked at her messy hair and tired eyes, then to the bite marks on her neck and shoulders. She once again felt like a whore but she had the feeling so often these days she was used to it so she just looked away and walked over to her bath. She realised she must have been looking at herself for a long time because the water was just reaching the right depth.

She stepped in and the hot water attacked her sore skin but she just soaked it up as she lowered herself into it. The boiling water washing away her impurities made her feel a little better; it relaxed her muscles and her senses.

She stayed in there until the water was cold and then reluctantly stepped out. She got dressed into a pair of jeans and a black jumper and walked back into the bedroom. Draco was sat elegantly on the sofa clad in his usual classy gear; Dark grey trousers and a very well fitted black shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, he always looked the part even if he had no plans to leave the house.

"Nice of you to show your face." She said plainly and then threw her hair up into a ponytail as he observed her from his seat. She tried not to look at her reflection in the mirror as she did it but couldn't help but be drawn back to the small marks and bruises on her neck again.

"In case you've forgotten my love, we're getting married tomorrow. The wedding isn't going to arrange itself. Not to mention the full time job of running multiple businesses and keeping everyone in this damn country in line takes up a lot of my time too."

She turned to look at him as if she was about to say something but then changed her mind at the last minute, she didn't want to fight. She just stared at him and frowned.

He loved the way she looked at him, even if it was with a scowl like the one she wore right now. "Last night meant a lot to me, don't you even start thinking that it didn't." He said and then stood up and walked over to her as if he'd read her mind.

"It meant a lot to me too." She admitted as she looked back.

"I think this is the perfect time for us to resume training." He said and then took her by the hand to lead her out of the room but she pulled away sharply.

"No!" She wanted to sound more commanding but her voice came out as a pathetic whisper.

He looked at her and Hermione noticed the irritation starting to set into his features.

"Yes." He said simply and grabbed her hand again but tighter this time as he pulled her from the room. She struggled but she knew it was pointless; he would always get what he wanted.

He stopped by the kitchen where Blaise, Devereux and a few other men Hermione didn't recognise sat eating lunch.

"Blaise, Dimitri I need your assistance immediately." Draco said and his voice brought the rowdy men into an eerie silence. They nodded and left the table as the other man began talking again.

Draco let go of Hermione and walked ahead discussing something quietly with Devereux leaving her to walk with Blaise.

"I see you finally took my advice on board, he's delightful today, I'm very impressed." Blaise said softly and quietly as they walked. She didn't respond she just ignored him as she looked through the passing windows.

They reached the unloved part of the Manor again and once again stepped into the dark room, it was exactly the same as before, only the Death Eater in front her now sat chained to a sturdy metal chair in the centre of the room.

He looked hatefully into Hermione's uncertain eyes as Draco handed her a wand and Blaise and Devereux took their places again.

The room was dead silent for a few moments as she looked at him. Draco put his hand on her back and leant closer to her. "You have to _mean_ it." He said softly and she tensed up.

"I can't do this" She whispered and closed her eyes as she gripped the wand tightly by her side.

"Yes you can." Draco said and moved her arm gently so she was pointing her wand at the man in the chair. "This man has taken the innocence of countless women, how would you feel if he had taken yours?" Draco asked gently but she didn't respond, she just kept her eyes closed tightly and she tried to control her breathing. "That poor muggle-born girl you shared a cell with, I heard he completely broke her spirit. She was once a beautiful and cheerful woman, but I hear that's not the case anymore." He said softly as the memories of Chinzia filled her mind and she felt sick.

"I-I can't do it." She said finally as she shook her head and tried to lower the wand but Draco held her arm firmly in place. She felt like a complete emotional wreck she was not in the right mind to be dealing with this right now.

The silence in the room was deafening as she waited for him to respond. He waited a moment and he took a step towards the Death Eater chained to the chair. "State your name prisoner." He said in a loud commanding voice and the man looked up at him then cleared his throat.

"Antonin Dolohov." The man growled quietly but proudly and Draco turned to look at Hermione who was searching her memory for any trace of the name, she knew him as a vicious Death Eater but there was something else... Her necklace turned cold, and she knew.

"This is the man who killed my father?" Hermione asked in a quiet, cracked voice as she burnt her eyes into the man feeling the necklace warm up again as she asked.

Draco didn't need to answer her question; he could tell by the way she was looking at the Death Eater that she already knew it was the truth. The wand that she'd began to lower was once again firmly pointing in his direction.

"He was never truly punished." Draco said quietly as he moved to stand next to her again. "You know the spell."

"Why did you kill him?" She asked loudly and he looked back into her eyes sadistically.

"I don't even remember your little daddy, but I'm sure he begged for death just like every one of my other victims." He said nastily with a smirk.

Hermione felt the tears prickling at the back of her eyes but she wouldn't let him see her cry over the pain he'd caused.

"Do you expect an apology?" Draco asked Hermione as if she was a child. She shook her head and he moved closer to her. "There is no justice in this world; you need to make your own." He said quietly into her ear.

She gripped the wand tightly as she let the hate build up for the Death Eater sitting in front of her. She could feel the anger for him running though her veins and boiling underneath her skin. "Crucio" She said quietly but as the word came out of her mouth the hate she felt let her down, it wasn't strong enough. The end of her wand emitted a slight spark of red but then nothing. She looked again, this time she was even more uncertain but she tried anyway. "Crucio!" She said in a more desperate voice but nothing happened this time at all.

"Don't worry; it very rarely works the first time. Just concentrate." Draco said as he smirked behind her, he'd finally made her cast an unforgivable curse even if she had been unsuccessful.

Dolohov laughed quietly but darkly at her failure. "If your father was half as pathetic as you are its no wonder he's dead."

The hate returned and it was double what it had been before, she gripped her wand tightly as it ripped through her. "Crucio!" She said seriously and clearly and her wand emitted another red spark and Dolohov flinched in his chair. Hermione immediately dropped the curse in a panic as she realised what she was actually doing.

Dolohov laughed again, louder this time and more menacing. "No worse than a bee sting." He taunted.

"No, I can't do it!" She said and lowered her wand as she turned away. The walls felt like they were closing in and her vision became hazy.

Draco grabbed her shoulders and forced her to look into his eyes. " _Yes you can!"_ He said as he squeezed her arms, she just shook her head frantically as tears started to build in her eyes. "What happened to you Hermione? I know you can do it! You know if this was a class in school you'd have mastered it by now! You're so close, please don't give up now."

She could see his mouth moving but his words were muffled in her ears, what had she become? She couldn't think straight, the only thing she knew is that she never wanted to attempt that curse again, or any other unforgivable for that matter. She noticed Draco had stopped talking and had a growing look of irritation on his face. The sound of rushing water in her ears stopped immediately and the silence in the room was thick again. Draco took a deep calming breath. "This man murdered your father. Because of this man you have never known your heritage. Because of this man you and your mother had to go into hiding, you never even knew you had magical blood!" He tried to explain as calmly as he could.

She looked him dead in the eye and took a calming breath herself. "I don't want to tell you this again, I will not be the person who tortures this man." She said through gritted teeth.

"I thought we were finally on the same side." He said, meeting her irritated tone with his own. "Are you really going to let your enemies get away with hurting you like this? You need to stop being so weak!" He spat and she once again felt her bravery extinguishing slightly.

"I won't do it." She said quietly, and just as she expected his features were now heavy with anger. The person he'd been last night was gone once again. She hated him.

"You're going to be my wife, this man killed your father and that's not acceptable. An attack against your family is a direct attack against me. I'm the Dark Lord and I will make this man pay for his crimes against us, if you will not." He said simply and then let go of Hermione's shoulders and turned to face Dolohov. He pulled out his wand and in an instant the Death Eater was writhing in his chair in pain.

Hermione watched for a moment as he silently slithered around in agony. She was stunned but a small part of her was glad to see him suffering. The feeling suddenly disappeared as Hermione noticed blood starting to seep from Dolohov's nose. "Draco, you need to stop." She said quietly but Draco didn't listen, he actually seemed to intensify the curse even more and the man screamed for the first time. "Draco, stop!" She shouted and walked over to him but his eyes were glazed over with hate and Hermione knew he wanted blood.

She stepped away from him slowly as Dolohov's screams filled her mind making it impossible for her to think. She lifted her wand and pointed it in Draco's direction. She'd expected Blaise or Dimitri to step out and stop her but they didn't seem to move at all. "Draco, please stop! You're going to kill him!" She said desperately as she stood beside him with her wand firmly in her hand. He didn't listen and the man's screams were now shrill, like Theo's had been when he was burning to death.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. " _Crucio!"_ She said through gritted teeth as she put everything she had into the curse. With a brief red spark out of her wand Draco dropped his curse against Dolohov.

Draco just looked tense as if he had a severe headache, he didn't look like he was currently under the Cruciatus Curse but Hermione knew she had been successful this time because she could feel the Curse feeding off her hate and anger.

Sweat started to bead on Hermione's forehead as the curse drained her. Draco lifted his arm with difficulty, as if it weighed a great deal and with a quick flick of his wrist Hermione's wand flew out of her hand immediately breaking the curse.

He opened his eyes again and pointed his wand at Hermione. She was hit instantly with the Cruciatus Curse which almost made her fall to the ground but Draco lifted off the curse before she did.

Hermione tried to step backwards as she looked at him but she was so drained she couldn't move. "I'm sor – " she tried to speak but he just fired another at her, silencing her before she could finish. She hissed as the pain ripped through her body like wildfire but thankfully it didn't last long, before she knew it he had lifted the curse again.

She almost fell to the floor but Draco caught her in his arms. "If you ever curse me again, it will be the last thing you ever do." He said quietly trying to maintain this calm composure as he held her.

Hermione was only just holding onto consciousness but she nodded her head. "I'm sorry; I never wanted to hurt you." She said in almost a whisper. Even though the curse she'd used on Draco had only lasted for about thirty seconds it had drained her of all energy.

"We don't ever use unforgivable curses on each-other again, do you understand?" He said seriously and she nodded again. "We're done here." Draco said and then carried Hermione out of the room leaving Blaise and Dimitri alone with a now unconscious Dolohov.

"You wouldn't think they were getting married tomorrow." Devereux said lightly and laughed.

"If that's love, I'm happy on my own." Blaise joked as he turned to leave.


	19. Chapter 19

Hermione sat in her chair in a small dressing room in the Manor. She'd had her hair professionally done at it looked amazing. Since she'd been in hiding and a prisoner of the Manor her hair had grown to a surprisingly long length and now her curls fell loosely by her ribs. She had small white and silver flowers which kept most of the curls out of her face as they magically sparkled every so often.

Her make-up had been done three times due to her pathetic tears. The artist grew more irritated each time she had to re-do it but Hermione could tell she was trying her best to hold it back, out of fear perhaps. It was subtle but managed to highlight all of her best features and made her eyes pop.

Hermione was sure she'd gotten it all out of her system so dismissed the stylists and called for Cecil who was never often too far away from her. He rushed through the door and smiled kindly before he bowed. "There's no need to bow when we're alone Cecil, we're friends." Hermione said for what felt like a hundredth time and he nodded.

He took a seat next to Hermione and looked at her with his bright eyes. "You look amazing." He said with a kind smile and he fidgeted with his fingers nervously.

"Thank you Cecil." She said as she turned to look at herself in the mirror again. She'd been finding it harder and harder to look at her reflection. She thought about the terrible things she'd done over the last week and felt disgusted with herself.

"My Lady, what's troubling you?" Cecil asked as he leant closer.

Hermione tensed up and looked away from herself and into Cecil's worried eyes. "I used an unforgivable curse yesterday, now I hate myself and I don't know what I'm going to do." She said quietly so nobody would overhear, she knew Devereux wouldn't be too far away.

"Why?" He asked in shock but still maintained his kind tone, as he always did.

"Draco was going to kill one of his followers; I panicked and used the Cruciatus Curse on him so he would stop." She explained and Cecil nodded in understanding.

"It sounds to me like you did a very brave thing yesterday, My Lady."

"They're not called the unforgivable curses for nothing. I can feel it, it's like a _stain."_ She said he she shivered at the idea of it.

"Well I forgive you." He said kindly and the tears that had begun to build in her eyes seemed to dry up as she looked at him.

"I'm doing this to keep the people I love safe, are you happy Cecil?" She asked.

"I've never been happier, my master is the kindest most selfless person I've ever had the pleasure of knowing and I'm treated better than I've ever been. Because of your friendship even Lord Malfoy isn't unkind to me, I haven't been beaten for weeks and my living conditions are more than I could ever ask for." He said sincerely and it made Hermione truly happy for the first time in what felt like forever.

"It makes me happy to know that what I'm going to do today is definitely for the best." She said with a smile. "Cecil, may I ask something of you?"

"Anything My Lady, I live to serve you." He said with another bow of his head.

"No Cecil" She said as she grabbed his hands and held them gently in her own. "I'm asking you this as a friend and you're free to decline." She explained and he nodded apologetically. "Would you give me away?" She asked and his eyes lit up brighter than she'd ever seen before and she couldn't help but laugh a little.

"I'd be honoured!" He said happily.

"Marvellous, you're going to have your slave walk you down the aisle at your wedding to the most powerful man in the world, how adorable." Drawled the sarcastic voice of Narcissa Malfoy from behind her. "I'm sure the pureblood guests will be delighted."

Hermione turned to look at her; Narcissa was dressed in her finest just as Hermione imagined she would be. "It's my wedding, not the purebloods, if they have a problem with my choice then they're free to get up and leave." Hermione said plainly as Narcissa's hateful eyes burned into her. "Dimitri!" Hermione shouted and he came running into the room with his wand out ready to attack. "Calm down Dimitri." She said with a smile as he relaxed. "Please see to it that Cecil here has something nice to wear for the ceremony, he'll be giving me away. Inform Draco if you must." She said and then shot a smug look briefly in Narcissa's direction. Devereux nodded and with that he and Cecil left Hermione and Narcissa alone.

"What can I do for you, Mrs Malfoy?" Hermione asked as she sat back into her chair and observed the woman as she moved across the room to stand by the window where Hermione's wedding dress was hanging, sealed in a black cover.

"Draco asked me to help you get ready, as you have no parents of your own." She said sharply as she gazed out of the window.

"I'm getting along perfectly fine, so you can tell him your assistance will not be required." She said simply and then turned to look back into the mirror dismissively.

"You're not even in your dress yet." She said simply. "You haven't even unzipped the bag. Draco picked this dress personally." Narcissa said as she turned her attention to the bag hanging against the wall.

"Draco hand picks everything I wear, so it's really not a big deal." Hermione said, uninterested.

"It might not be a big deal for you Granger, but he put a lot of effort into this." She spat and Hermione shivered at the sound of her old name, she'd missed being called Granger, the necklace turned cold again which didn't make her feel better at all.

"Fine, I'll look at the dress." She said as she swivelled around in her chair to face Narcissa again who already had her hand on the zip. She opened the bag to reveal a simply stunning silver satin dress which actually took Hermione's breath away.

"It's not even white, I can't really say I'm surprised, Draco gets all of the pretty girls into bed, it all became so easy for him." Narcissa said coldly as she looked at the dress clearly underwhelmed.

"What's that supposed to mean exactly?" Hermione spat as she rose from her seat to take a closer look at the dress, masking how much Narcissa's words had actually wounded her.

"You're just a conquest. Once he gets what he wants he'll get bored of you like he did with all the others." She explained as she closely inspected Hermione's reaction.

"He loves me." Hermione said smugly as she took the dress down from where it was hanging.

"He loves the _idea_ of you sweet child, don't get the two mixed up. You've been such a challenge for him, he's become so lost in his little game that you've actually tricked him into thinking he wants to marry you!"

Hermione turned to look at her. "You think this is what I _want_?" She hissed as she took a few steps closer to Narcissa, the cruelty of her words had finally got the better of Hermione. "If I'm the one who's tricked him then why am I being _forced_ to marry him? He wants me so badly that he's willing to make me his wife knowing that I don't want to take him as my husband." She said spitefully and was satisfied as she saw the pain strike in Narcissa's face for the first time ever.

"He has been training for this his whole life; I will not allow you to make it all a waste." Narcissa said calmly.

"Ah yes, Draco told me about how his father would beat and torture him every day in order to 'train' him." Hermione said and Narcissa couldn't keep the shocked look off her face. "He also told me how you just stood back and let him do it." Hermione hissed.

"H-he wouldn't have told you that." Narcissa said shakily, Hermione had caught her off guard with that one.

"Still think I'm just a conquest?" Hermione said smugly as she smirked.

"I will not stand back while you bring him down like this! I've seen how he is when he's around you! He's so out of character!" Narcissa spat as she took a step closer to Hermione.

"What, do I bring out the _good_ in him, Narcissa?" Hermione shouted. "Can't you deal with the fact that the monster you created may in fact have a heart?"

Narcissa grabbed Hermione's wrist roughly. "Where exactly do you think he got that heart?" She spat as Hermione struggled in her solid grip. "His father certainly wasn't capable of love." She said as tears started to fill her eyes. Hermione stopped struggling and looked at her sadly.

"You never wanted him to turn out this way did you?" Hermione asked cautiously and Narcissa's grip loosened slightly as she shook her head.

"This is how he needs to be now, do you understand? If his followers see weakness he will be killed and I cannot let that happen he's the only person I've ever really loved." Narcissa said sincerely but coldly as she looked Hermione dead in the eyes. Hermione nodded her head in understanding and Narcissa let go of her arm and sat down in the chair Cecil had been in before. She then gestured to Hermione's seat and she sat down too. "So you're a prisoner? You don't love him at all?" Narcissa asked and Hermione didn't know how to respond so just considered her words carefully for a moment as she thought.

"Yes, I am a prisoner." She began and then looked away from Narcissa's icy gaze. "If Draco and I had met under different circumstances then I know I would love him. I have grown to care for him a great deal though." She explained, unsure of what she was really saying. She'd never let herself think about her feelings for Draco, or whether or not she might actually love him, she knew she definitely hated him but even through that was the underlining emotion she didn't feel like she could really say that to the woman who was about to become her mother-in-law.

"You'll have a silver snake, is that's what's trapping you here?" She asked ignoring everything else she'd said like it was unimportant. Hermione nodded her head and Narcissa pulled out her wand. "I'll take it off for you if you promise me you will run before the wedding takes place if you are given the opportunity." She said quietly.

"Is this a trap?" Hermione asked suspiciously.

"On my sons life I promise this is no trick." Narcissa said simply.

Hermione thought deeply about her options. Maybe it would be better for everyone that way. There was no guarantee she'd even get a chance with the wedding being only an hour away and security being tight but Hermione nodded her head slowly and lifted up the leg of her jeans to reveal the snake.

With a simple flick of Narcissa's wand the snake fell to the floor. Hermione rubbed her ankle, relieved to finally have the damned thing off.

"I know we don't agree on most things, but you and I both know that you leaving would be in everyone's best interests." Narcissa said almost kindly as she stood up and walked to the door. "You're a very clever witch Miss Granger, I can see why he loves you, but I sincerely hope I never see you again." She said simply and then disappeared out of the room.

Hermione shot up and started trying to think of an escape plan. She just needed to get a wand and then get down to the dungeons to release Harry and the others. They might actually have a chance while everyone is distracted. She felt a sharp pain of guilt as she thought about Draco and how upset he would be with her for leaving but then remembered bitterly what Narcissa had said, she was just a conquest.

Devereux and Cecil walked into the room and made her jump out of her thoughts. "You both look so handsome." She said with a smile as she looked at their dashing black suits with silver detailing.

"You should really get dressed Hermione, the ceremony will be starting soon." Devereux said as he looked worriedly at her jeans and jumper.

She felt her hope of escaping slowly fluttering out of the window now she was no longer alone, but she couldn't give up, not just yet. She finally had something.

* * *

Hermione stood behind a silky white curtain holding tightly onto Cecil's arm. She could hear beautiful music and soft chatter on the other side.

"Are you ready?" Devereux asked as he appeared behind her.

"I don't know. Are there many people out there?" She asked as she tried to calm herself down, she'd never been more nervous about anything in her entire life.

"Not as many as originally planned, it was scaled down a lot after the attacks and even more after the funeral." He explained and it didn't make Hermione feel any better even though she hoped it would.

"Are we safe?" Hermione asked as she looked up to him.

"There are powerful wards on this whole area, making it impossible to use any offensive magic." Devereux explained as Hermione breathed deeply and tried to calm herself. "Besides, I'm going to be right there the whole time, and nobody is going to hurt my favourite girl." He said with a wink and she smiled.

She looked ahead and took the deepest most calming breath she could muster before the curtain was pulled back.

Hermione looked at the beautiful room in front of her and barley noticed the sea of beady eyes that were burning into her. It was amazing; there were white flowers everywhere with the odd silver or red flower mixed in among them, colours from both their houses at Hogwarts. Lights twinkled all around the room amongst the flowers, guests and on the ceiling. Then she noticed him, and decided that despite everything else in the room he stood out above it all. He looked stunningly handsome in his black suit and silver waistcoat and she felt herself relax almost immediately as she met his eyes which were full of love and happiness as he watched her.

She walked through the middle of the sea of people who watched as she and Cecil approached the alter. Hermione was surprisingly relaxed, she just kept her eyes locked with Draco's and it calmed her down.

A mixture of violins and harps played dreamily as she walked. She found herself feeling lighter, happier even as she got closer. Cecil squeezed her hand lightly as they walked and Hermione looked up at him to see him smiling happily and proudly as he took slow steps beside her.

She looked back to Draco and smiled. She didn't care about a single thing in the cruel and twisted world she now lived in, all she cared about was him.

Hermione suddenly felt a warm liquid splat over her face as she walked and before she knew what was happening she heard the piercing screams of the guests attack her ears as Draco's Death Eater body guards jumped from the crowd with their wands out. She looked up to Cecil to and was horrified to see he had a large knife sticking through his neck and was bleeding badly, the liquid that had splashed into her face had been his blood. The proud and happy look on his face had been replaced by one of confusion and pain.

"CECIL!" She screamed and frantically put her hands up to his neck in an attempt to stop the bleeding. She felt a sharp pain in her in the top of her arm as a knife that looked just like the one in Cecil's neck grazed past her arm and spun right into the chest of a guest she didn't recognise. She gripped her arm tightly and hissed in pain. She then looked up into the direction the knife had come from and through the hysteric wedding guests to see the sly face of Pansy Parkinson hiding behind one of the curtains.

Her vision was broken as Cecil grabbed onto her arm as he fell to the floor. "Cecil, no!" She pleaded as she turned her attention back to him. He was pale like he was having his life sucked rapidly out of him. "SOMEONE HELP HIM!" Hermione screamed as she fell to her knees next to Cecil and tried to stop the bleeding in any way she could.

Devereux was quickly trying to pull her up but she punched him away violently. "IT WAS PANSY!" She shouted as she batted him away from them. "Leave me! Find her!" She ordered and with a nod Devereux ran off into the crowd of hysteric people and disappeared out of sight.

She knelt in the pool of blood holding Cecil's neck around the gruesome jagged blade of the knife that was sticking through it. She was shaking uncontrollably and tears were running through the blood splattered across her face.

Draco fell to his knees opposite her on the other side of Cecil and pulled out his wand. He tried to heal the wound but it was no use. He looked at Hermione and she noticed that look in his eyes again, the fear from the night she was almost killed. "We need to take out the blade." He said urgently.

"He'll die!" Hermione shrieked, she'd started to become hysterical despite her best efforts not to.

"He's going to die if we don't!" Draco shouted and then grabbed the knife and pulled it out of Cecil's neck as gently as he could. The bleeding doubled and Hermione sobbed as she put her hands tightly over the wound as Draco tried to heal the inside of his neck. He was draining of all colour and was showing no signs of healing.

"Draco it's not working!" She said desperately and she felt Cecil grab her hand which was pushed tightly against his neck. He looked at her with his loving eyes. "Y-you are a g-good friend" He croaked with great difficulty and blood seeped from the corners of his mouth, Hermione began to weep uncontrollably. "Be h-happy."He spluttered as he began to gargle and choke on his blood.

She didn't notice Draco stop healing Cecil, but she did see the flash of green light just before Draco hit him with the killing curse, probably the only time he'd ever used it out of mercy. Hermione screamed and screamed but she couldn't hear any noise, she was shaking and holding his dead body as the crowd of wedding guests watched.

"He's not suffering anymore." Draco said softly and stood up. He took her bloody hand, pulled her to her feet and held her tightly in his arms as the sobs rocked through her body. "I'm so sorry." He said gently as he held her head closely to his chest.

The room had turned silent apart from Hermione's desperate cries muffled into Draco's body. Blaise cautiously approached the two of them as the wedding guests looked on in utter shock.

"My Lord, what can I do?" Blaise asked quietly.

"Move the bodies." Draco commanded in a soft, calm voice. "Find out who did this."

"I-it was Pansy, I-I saw her." Hermione sobbed.

"Where is she now?" Draco asked urgently and pulled her away from him to look into her blood covered face.

"Dimitri went after her." Hermione said quietly and Draco pulled her close to him again, he couldn't bear to see the pain in her eyes anymore.

"You know what to do, Blaise." Draco said quietly as the whole room eagerly listened in.

"What of the ceremony?" Blaise asked carefully, obviously more aware of the people who were watching them.

"The wedding is off, move everyone to the reception hall." He said plainly and Blaise nodded before he sprang into action charismatically guiding all of the wedding guests out of the room as two Death Eaters covered the bodies in silver tablecloths and moved them out of the room gently. Draco held Hermione closely to his chest to cover her eyes from the horror surrounding them.

Once the room was finally empty Draco pulled Hermione out of his arms and held her shoulders firmly as he looked into her eyes. "Are you hurt?"

She gestured slightly to the cut on her arm just below where he was holding as she sniffed and hiccupped. Draco pulled out his wand and began to heal the wound caused by the blade.

"It's not working." He said with irritation as he attempted the spell again. "I've read about this type of magic. The two knives thrown at you were sister blades, cursed with old magic. Once the pair has drawn blood, the wounds caused by them cannot be healed with magic."

"S-she killed Cecil." Hermione said as she ignored what Draco was saying.

"She's not going to get away with this Hermione I promise you. She was aiming for _you_ and I'm going to find her and kill her myself." He said as he took her into his arms again.

"No, Draco-"

"I know you don't like it but as I said before, some people deserve to suffer. This is what happens when you show your enemies weakness." He interrupted.

She pulled out of his arms and looked him dead in the eyes. "No, Draco, I want you to find her but I'm going to be the person who kills her, do you understand?" She said seriously and he fought against the smile that was trying to creep onto his lips.

"Of course, my love." He said softly. "If you're going to do that, you might need this." He reached into the inside of his suit jacket and pulled out Hermione's wand. "Here, you need to be able to protect yourself at all times." He said as he handed it to her. "I was stupid not to give it to you sooner. I was worried you'd leave."

It felt so good to have her wand back again; it was like she'd been living without an arm or a leg. "Thank you." She said in a cracked voice and then put her shaky arms underneath Draco's jacket and around his body and held him gently.

He pulled her closer as he felt her beginning to cry again. "I just wanted us to be happy." He said quietly into her hair. "I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault, Draco."

He closed his eyes. "Will you still stay?" He asked and opened his eyes again when she didn't respond. He waited a moment and then pulled her away to look into her eyes. "I know we didn't get married today but will you stay with me?" He asked softly and calmly but Hermione could hear the desperation laced in his voice. She didn't know what to say, she could barely think at all, she was weighed down so heavily by grief she couldn't think of a single thing to say. His eyes grew sadder the longer she took to respond, he was asking as though she actually had a choice.

"I love you." He said and all of the thoughts running through Hermione's head stopped in an instant.

She looked deeply into his sad eyes, she didn't know how but she knew he meant it, she could feel it. She nodded her head. "I'll stay with you." She said and watched the worried look on his face melt away.

He pulled her into his arms once again, not caring that she was covered in blood. She did really appreciate everything that he'd done today. He had fallen onto his knees into a pool of 'dirty blood' on his wedding day and tried to heal a slave in front of almost every pureblood family in the country. Hermione knew Draco didn't care much for Cecil, she wasn't sure if he even knew his name but he still did what he could to save him. Draco would do anything for her and she knew that now. He really did love her.

"We should really see to our guests." Draco said uninterestedly as he loosened his grip.

"You go ahead; I would really like to clean myself up first." She said softly as she pulled away from him and gestured to her once beautiful wedding dress which was now covered in blood just like her hands, neck and face.

"I'll come with you." He said as he reached out his hand to hold hers but she pulled it away leaving him looking confused. "It's not safe." He warned seriously.

"I have my wand, I won't be far away and I will summon you if anything happens, I promise." She explained but he didn't look convinced. "Don't you think I can look after myself?" She asked sadly.

"I know you can look after yourself, but I can't risk losing you." He said and reached for her hand again and this time caught it and held it gently in his own. "I couldn't live in a world without you."

Hermione looked at the fear growing in his eyes again and she didn't like it, it didn't suit him and it unsettled her to see him scared. "Well it's a good job you'll never have to. I will never leave your side." She said and he seemed to relax a little as he listened to her reassuring words. "I promise." She said and with a gentle squeeze he released her hand.

"I trust you. Please be careful." He said and planted a small kiss on her forehead before he left the room.

Hermione waited for a few moments and looked at the bloody scene around her. She couldn't believe how beautiful this room had been before. After enough time had passed she walked out of the room and started to head towards the dungeons. It was time.


	20. Chapter 20

Hermione reached the door to the dungeons, quietly opened it and slipped inside. She walked carefully down the stairs and cast two silent sleeping spells that Devereux taught her on the two guards who were talking quietly to one another.

She walked up to the cell she thought Harry would be in and with a swish of her wand the door unlocked. Hermione cautiously stepped inside but she couldn't see anybody in the darkness. She took another step and was grabbed roughly from behind. "Harry, it's me!" She said but he didn't loosen his grip.

"Exactly," He hissed into her ear. He sounded like Harry but had something sinister in his voice that Hermione didn't recognise.

"Harry, you're choking me!" She said as she squirmed but his grip just tightened further. Hermione didn't want to but she had no choice, she stung his arm with a nasty jinx which caused him to release her sharply. She quickly turned around to face him with her wand ready, he looked truly terrible and completely defeated. "Harry I'm here to release you, please we haven't got much time."

He looked at her with a mixture of sadness and disgust. "What the hell happened to you?" He asked as he looked at the satin wedding dress covered in blood, and then to her face which was also covered in spots of fresh blood. He took a step towards her but she immediately took one back and tightened her grip around her wand. "You're covered in blood." He said carefully.

"Really? I hadn't noticed." She said plainly. "We need to get the others out right now."

"You married him then?" He asked and Hermione narrowed her eyes.

"Does it _look_ like I married him?" She spat and walked towards the door. Harry caught her arm as she passed and looked into her eyes with concern. "What happened?" He asked as he held her arm tightly in his grip.

"My friend was just murdered as he was giving me away at my wedding." She tried to speak as evenly as she could but the grief shook in her voice. "I can't lose anyone else; I need to get you all out of here right now." She said and tried to walk away but Harry pulled her into a tight hug before she could leave. She couldn't help but melt into him as his comfort washed over her. After a few moments she pulled away. "We don't have much time, come on." She said and ran out of the cell.

She unlocked each door and was met with both confused and horrified faces but she didn't have time to explain. "You all need to get out of here right now! You don't have much time." She said as she frantically rushed from one cell to the next freeing her friends.

She opened the door to the final cell and was surprised to find Ron's big arms pulling her immediately into a hug as soon as the door was open. "I knew you wouldn't betray us!" He said happily as he held her tightly. He pulled her away and looked at her with wide, shocked eyes. "Bloody hell Hermione, I didn't think you were going to kill him!" He said and Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I didn't kill him Ron, my friend was murdered." She explained and his eyes turned sad. "I'm sorry, it's amazing to see you Ron but we don't have much time, Draco could turn up any moment we need to get moving." She said and he nodded and rushed over to the others as they grouped together in the narrow stone corridor.

She turned to see Harry looking at her with sad eyes. "I thought I'd lost you." He said quietly.

"Harry, don't speak like that." She said awkwardly as he walked towards her.

He put his hands lightly on her shoulders and looked into her eyes. "I knew you'd keep your word, deep down." He said and smiled.

"Harry, we need to go." She said seriously and he caught her off guard as he pulled her head into a kiss. She pushed him away immediately and looked at him sadly. "Harry, no." She whispered and took a cautious step backwards to create some distance between them.

"Wha- what's wrong with you?" He asked as he looked her up and down as if he didn't recognise her. She tried to speak but she couldn't think of any words. He watched her as she tried to think of something to say and then he laughed loudly. "You're in _love_ with him, aren't you?" He asked spitefully and looked at her like she was the most disgusting thing he'd ever laid eyes on.

"Harry, be quiet!" She whispered and reached out to touch his arm but he batted it away with disgust. "Harry, you're my best friend please don't be this way, we need to get going right now before someone catches us!" She said desperately, knowing that Draco's reaction to this would be worse than anything she'd ever seen before.

"Come on mate, let's get going." Ron said and Harry dragged his judgemental gaze away from Hermione to look at him. "We've all been though a lot and now isn't the time for this kind of thing we need to concentrate on escaping." He said and Harry nodded reluctantly. Ron turned his attention to Hermione and looked at her with pity. "Do you know the way out?"

She nodded and turned away from them both and towards the stairs with her wand out. Her friends followed her cautiously up the stairs and into the hallways of the Manor. Hermione felt fear set deep within her as she walked through the familiar hallways, knowing Draco could be looking for her right now. If he found them he would probably kill them all here on the spot.

She held her dress up away from the floor as she walked, partly not to trip over it but mainly so she didn't leave a trail of blood for Draco to follow should he come looking for her. She wished she'd changed, but didn't have time.

They reached a small door and Hermione pushed it open. The winter air swept past her sending chills down her spine. She held the door open until each of her friends had made it through, Harry being the last. "Harry!" She said and grabbed his arm as he passed her. "Take this." She said and shoved her wand into his hand.

"You're not coming with us?" He asked in confusion and she shook her head. "You're choosing to stay here?"

"Yes, Harry." She said sadly. "I made a promise."

"To _him?!"_ he spat and scoffed in disbelief. "He's evil Hermione! Are you crazy?"

"Harry, I'm loyal to Draco now." She said quietly but firmly but then looked away from him as she saw what she thought was heartbreak spread across his features. She hadn't wanted to say that to him, but she knew she had to be cruel, it's the only way he'd leave, if he didn't hurry they'd all be dead.

Harry pointed the wand at Hermione's neck and breathed heavily. "Then I should just kill you now, I'm going to have to eventually." He said through gritted teeth.

She looked into his eyes with her shaky ones. "I deserve to die." She said quietly and she really meant it. Harry eventually lowered the wand and looked at her sadly. Of course he couldn't kill her. He pulled her into a hug and held her tightly. Why couldn't she just love him the way he loved her? His best friend and love of his life had smashed his heart into tiny pieces by falling in love with his worst enemy, but he still loved her with each and every one of those pieces.

"Please come with me." He said softly.

She pulled away. "This is where I need to be." She said as she looked at him. She heard shouting in the distance and felt dread set into her stomach. She could feel Draco's anger burning beneath her own skin. "He knows." She said breathlessly as fear swept through her whole body making her feel uneasy. "Go, now!" She shouted and pushed Harry away and he began to run. "Don't ever come back here! Be careful!" She shouted and then closed the heavy door and was instantly suffocated by the muggy air of the Manor as the walls of the corridor felt like they were closing in all around her, trapping her.

The shouting from behind her was growing louder and Hermione didn't know what to do, or where to go. The only escape route was through the door and into the grounds but that wasn't an option. She needed to get to back to Draco, if she was caught in the grounds he would think she was running away for sure.

Figures turned the corner and she froze. She was immediately hit with a binding curse that sent her crashing to the floor. She looked up to see Blaise walking over to her with a look of disappointment across his face. "Ah, there you are, the Dark Lord is looking for you." He said and then dragged her to her feet roughly.

* * *

Hermione was thrown through the door of the main living-room and crashed onto the hard wooden floor as the door slammed closed behind her. She looked up and her eyes quickly found Draco sitting in an armchair facing her beside the fire. The dancing flames reflected in his dark eyes as he watched her made her realise it was in fact the gates of hell that had just closed behind her, not just the living-room door.

"Draco I-" She tried but he lifted his hand to silence her.

"You're alive then?" He asked quietly but coldly and Hermione could tell he was masking his anger because she could feel it radiating off him from the other side of the room.

"Please let me explain." She said as she dragged herself to her feet and then began to walk towards him cautiously on her wobbly legs which she was sure would give up on her altogether if she wasn't careful.

"Don't take another step!" He said loudly and she stopped in her tracks as his angry voice echoed around the room. "I thought you were dead!"

"I'm sor-"

"And then I was told that your little friends had been released and I knew you would be the only person behind it." He said coldly as he stood up.

Hermione felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end as he approached her slowly. She avoided looking into his eyes at all costs, she didn't like it when he was like this, it was like he was possessed by something dark and the real Draco was nowhere to be found. "Draco, please just let me explain." She said desperately.

He walked around her slowly, like a predator circling its prey. "So you can feed me some more of your lies?" He hissed. "I trusted you."

"You can still trust me." She said but he just grabbed her around the throat, pushed her across the room and slammed her against the wall. The impact took the breath out of her but thankfully he released his grip around her neck so she could breathe and put both hands either side of her head to trap her in. She hated being in this position, he knew that.

"How can you say that I can still trust you when you've just been caught trying to escape?" He asked slowly and quietly as he loomed over her.

"I wasn't trying to escape." She said and she jumped as he punched the wall beside her head causing plaster to flick into their faces.

"Don't _lie_ to me." He said darkly as he leant closer.

Hermione looked up into his eyes properly for the first time; they were dark with rage as they ripped into her. She swallowed hard and tried to gain her composure. The only person who made her feel safe had turned into someone else, someone who frightened her more than anything. She just needed to pull her Draco back to the surface. "I would never lie to you. I wasn't trying to escape; I was only releasing my friends I wasn't going to leave you I swear."

"Why should I believe a word you say?" He spat and she couldn't help but flinch at the coldness in his voice.

"Because you love me," she said as she looked into his eyes. "That's what you said isn't it?" She asked but he didn't respond he just looked at her with resentment. "That's why I stayed." She said and reached out to touch him but he pulled away from her like she was disgusting.

" _Don't_ touch me." He spat as he looked her up and down with disgust which hurt Hermione more than being slammed against the wall.

"Please Draco; I've lost too many people today I can't lose you too." She said desperately but he just shook his head dismissively.

"I always thought you were so kind, and so pure, it's one of the things that made me fall in love with you, but it turns out you're just a lying whore!" He said nastily and Hermione actually felt like the air had been knocked out of her again as his spiteful words stabbed through her heart.

"You don't mean that." She said quietly as she tried to fight back the tears that were once again building in her already redraw eyes. She'd dealt with the name calling in the past but hearing the words come out of Draco's mouth now hurt her more than she ever could have imagined.

He stepped closer to her again and she pushed herself against the wall. "In fact, falling in love with you was the biggest mistake I've ever made." He said and seemed to linger on every word so he could soak up the pain caused by them.

She couldn't stop the tears falling from her eyes as he looked hatefully at her. He pulled out his wand and pointed it into her throat. She didn't flinch or move, she wasn't afraid of death, at least it would release her from the pain she felt, and the pain she was causing.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you." Draco spat as he pushed the wand into her throat.

"I can't give you a reason." She said simply as she looked sadly into his twisted eyes. "I deserve to die for the things I've done. I said the same thing to Harry when he was just about to kill me for being loyal to you." She said and she noticed him release the pressure of the wand against her throat slightly as he tried to process the information.

"Do you really expect me to believe that Potter tried to kill you?" He spat and he held his wand firmly.

"Then read my memories Draco, I'm not lying to you I promise. He wanted me to go with him, but I told him I wouldn't leave you."

"If you weren't planning to leave then why did you remove the silver snake? It's quite complicated magic; I bet you've been planning this for weeks." He seethed as he held his wand firmly in place.

"Your mother removed it! Before the wedding ceremony when Cecil..." She paused as she remembered her beloved friend as she watched the life leave his eyes. It was all her fault. She snapped back to reality and noticed that Draco's eyes had lost their manic glaze and had turned sad. "She told me to leave and not to marry you. I had the chance to escape but I wanted to be with you believe me. I had another chance when Harry begged me to leave with him and I refused and was almost killed, only to be captured by Blaise as I was coming back to you. Please Draco, please believe me."

Draco lowered his wand as he thought about what she was saying. "Why did you do it?" He asked the anger in his voice had been replaced with irritation which was a step up in Hermione's opinion. He might actually be calming down.

"I felt like I owed my friends their freedom, they were only here in the first place because of me." She explained.

"They were prisoners of war." He clipped. "They were only _alive_ because of _you_ but that wasn't enough? You had to go and release the leader of the people who want to kill me?"

"No, it's not like that! The guilt of being happy with you while they rotted away was too much for me to live with." She explained desperately. "After what happened to Cecil, I just freaked out."

He looked at her and his face turned sad again and guilt washed over him as he remembered what she'd been through.

She reached out and grabbed his hand in hers and held it gently and was so grateful to feel his skin against hers again when he didn't move away. "When Harry asked me to leave with him tonight it made me realise that I couldn't live without you. We share a bond that nobody else could ever understand." She said and Draco pulled her into his arms suddenly and held her tightly. The happiness and relief of being in his strong arms again made her cry as she filled herself with his warmth and comfort. "I couldn't leave." She said into his chest as her emotions once again overwhelmed her. "I couldn't-"

"I thought I'd lost you." He said as he stroked her hair gently and she was reminded of how Harry had said the same thing to her. The pain in his voice didn't hurt her as much as the pain in Draco's when he said the words. She never thought in a million years that she would choose a Malfoy over her friends and everything she once stood for. "When I tried to find you using the Silver Snake and I couldn't sense you I thought you were dead. I've never been so scared in all my life."

"I'm sorry." She said into his chest and he gave her a small squeeze.

"It's been a long day." He said soothingly and Hermione felt herself relax as his kind, smooth voice filled her ears. "We need to get away somewhere, just the two of us. After everything that's happened I think we need a break away from here, to sort things out." He said and she pulled away and looked at him with a frown.

"What do you mean?"

"Go and pack some things." He said and then turned to leave. "Enough for a few days should do it." He said as he walked away. Hermione was confused, he'd changed so quickly from raging psycho to loving fiancé and she didn't know how to react.

"Wait!" She shouted and he stopped and turned to look at her but she didn't know what she was going to say yet.

He looked at her for a moment as she tried to come up with something to say and then laughed lightly. "Do you trust me?"

"More than anyone else in my entire life." She said without hesitation, as she stood against the wall looking confused.

"Go and pack, I'll meet you in the room in an hour I just need to make some arrangements before we leave."

"Leave?" She asked but he'd already gone.

She turned and looked at the hole in the wall beside her head, a mark of Draco's anger towards her. A girls wedding day was supposed to be the happiest day of her life, but Hermione decided that after losing all of her friends and almost losing Draco too, it had definitely been the worst day of hers.


	21. Chapter 21

**Right, first off I would like to sincerely apologise for the late update. I have had endless problems with my laptop and after countless visits to the repair shop it finally gave up the fight and is sadly no longer with us. It died along with my pre-written story which was not backed up anywhere! So I'm sorry to say I will no longer be able to update daily as I will need to re-write the last half all over again. I have a new laptop now so shouldn't have any other problems, apart from remembering what I wrote before, of course! I will post two chapters today to make up for lost time. Also my mistake spotter is out of town again, so any mistakes will be fixed asap.**

* * *

"Are you ready?" Draco asked as he stepped into the room.

"Do you know how difficult it is to pack when you have no idea where you're going?" Hermione said with irritation as she looked through the wardrobe.

"Would you like me to help?" He asked as he walked over to her.

"No, I'm pretty much done." She said as she grabbed a black cardigan and closed the hard wooden wardrobe doors. She threw it on then zipped up her suitcase and turned to look at Draco. "Aren't you taking anything?" She asked.

"I already have things there." He said simply as he walked over to her and took her hand tightly. "Hold on" he said with a smile and then before Hermione knew what was happening they twisted through a violent world of nothing before they eventually landed softly in the same position but in a different location.

"I feel like I'm going to be sick." She said hazily as she tried to find her balance.

Draco laughed and steadied her slightly. "It's only natural, that was quite a long journey after all. It will be easier next time." He said as he watched her take in her surroundings with her mouth agape. "Close your mouth or you'll attract Billywigs." He said jokily and tapped her jaw lightly with his finger causing her teeth to tap together. She looked embarrassed and smiled in a way that made his heart melt.

"But Billywigs are native to Australia." She said as she thought deeply. He loved that clever mind of hers, he loved to watch her work things out as she often did, and she would frown in a way that made her look beautiful. "We're not in Australia." She said in denial and shook her head as the penny finally dropped. Draco laughed at the utterly bewildered look on her face. "We can't possibly..." She said and he took her hand gently and started to lead her through the villa.

Hermione noticed how modern things were here compared to the Manor. It was all open-plan and there was a square fireplace in the centre surrounded by light, plush sofas, the floors were pristine white and there were plants everywhere. The air was warm even though the fire wasn't lit and it finally dawned on Hermione that she could actually be right about where they were.

He led her to a large window and pulled open the heavy cream curtains to reveal the most beautiful beach Hermione had ever seen in her entire life. He opened the patio doors and took her outside. The warm sea air was heavenly and the summer sun felt amazing against her skin. She was truly speechless as she stepped out to admire the view.

"Do you like it?" He asked as he watched her curiously.

"It's beautiful." She said as she looked out past the pool and at the pristine blue sea in front of them.

Draco walked up behind her and put his arms around her as she gazed at the view. "You'll be safe here; nobody knows I've even brought this place."

She turned to look at him in shock. "This place is yours?" She said in amazement.

"No," He said with a shrug and took her hands gently. "It's _ours_." He said then kissed her forehead gently. "Go and change, I'll show you around the area if you like?" He asked and she nodded her head excitedly. "Hurry up the sun will be setting soon!" He shouted he she ran off back into the villa like an excited child.

They walked around the whole town with its quaint houses, it was a very secluded area so there wasn't much to see but Hermione was still having a great time. She was so happy to be out of the darkness of the Manor and exploring the great outdoors again in the glorious sunshine as she pulled Draco excitedly from one place to the next.

Eventually they walked along the beach back to the villa as the sun set over the sea. They found a spot not too far away from the Villa and sat down together and looked out across the ocean. Hermione rested her head on Draco's shoulder as she watched the delicate waves lopping against the crystal white sand. The orange and red colours in the sky reflected in the sea beautifully. She took a deep breath of sea air and then rubbed her eyes as she realised how tired she actually was.

It was almost as if she'd stepped into somebody else's life, almost as if the man sitting next to her wasn't an evil conqueror and just the man she was falling in love with, almost as if one of her dearest friends hand't been murdered in her place by her fiance's crazy ex, almost as if she hadn't lost every friend she'd ever had, almost as if she were actually happy. The horrors she'd endured back in England felt like a nightmare, and she was finally awake.

She lifted her head from Draco's shoulder, lay down on the sand and closed her eyes. Draco lay next to her propped up on his elbow as he watched her with a small smile on his face, she looked so peaceful.

"You have blood in your hair." He said carefully as he inspected her, the smile melting off his face.

Hermione opened her eyes again, they felt raw as the soft sea air blew against them, making them sore. "Oh, I must have missed it when I showered." She explained, half knowing where this conversation was leading. She knew he would have to tell him about her wand sooner or later and was surprised that he hadn't already noticed but she was still filled with dread over how he would react, she didn't want him to flip out again.

"You didn't use magic? I thought you'd be so happy to have your wand back that you'd be using it for everything." He said with a suspicious look on his face as he studied her.

"Well.. the thing is..I-" She stuttered not really knowing what to say.

"Spit it out." Draco said, more nastily then he'd intended to.

Hermione sat up again, feeling a little too vulnerable lying on the floor with Draco looming over her. "I don't have my wand." She admitted after a moment.

"Yes you do. I gave it to you." Draco said plainly and dismissively but Hermione knew he already knew exactly what she'd done with it, he wasn't stupid, he obviously just wanted her to have to say the words, to speak of her betrayal. Maybe as some kind of punishment, she didn't know.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes again. "I gave it to Harry." She admitted quietly. She opened her eyes when he didn't respond and expected to see Draco's dark eyes burning a hole through her, but to her amazement she found him lying on his back with his hands covering his face.

"Why do you have to make everything so difficult?" He muffled irritably into his hands.

Hermione couldn't help but smile as she watched him react this way. She could feel his anger burning beneath her own skin but he seemed to be suppressing it well, to her surprise.

"Aren't you angry?" she asked cautiously.

"Of course I'm fucking angry!" He spat as he sat up to look at her. "But I'm not going to let it ruin this moment." He said more softly and took her hands in his. "I will get you a new wand as soon as we get back to England."

She smiled as relief swept over her body. He hadn't flipped out, he hadn't lashed out at her, she couldn't make out exactly how he was feeling, she could feel his anger but it wasn't reflected in his face or tone. He stroked her hand lightly with his thumb absentmindedly and Hermione could tell his brilliant mind was at work as she studied him carefully.

He looked up to her and smirked "I'll just have to punish you later." He said ominously as he watched the smile fall from her face. She took a breath to talk but Draco put his finger over her lips "Don't push your luck." He warned. He said the words spitefully but the look on his face was only a notch from playful and Hermione couldn't work him out.

He stood up and pulled her to her feet and they once again began to walk across the beach hand in hand. They didn't talk the whole way back to the Villa, they just admired the sights and Hermione thought deeply about what Draco had said, and what it could mean for her.

The light from the Villa was the only thing Hermione could see on the now almost completely dark beach. They walked up the stairs and onto the pool deck. "Oh, Hermione.." Draco said sweetly and she was relieved to finally hear his voice after him being so quiet and so mysterious for so long.

"Yes, Draco?" She asked cautiously as she turned to look at him. He stepped closer to her until their faces were almost touching.

"I think it's time for your punishment." He whispered and Hermione instantly tensed at the words. She was just about to ask him what he was playing at when he grabbed her, picked her up and held her in the bridal position. He walked across the deck towards the pool and Hermione realised what he was planning immediately and started to kick and scream.

"Don't you dare!" She shouted as she tried to squirm out of his rock solid grip. "Draco Malfoy put me down right now!" She demanded but her words just fell onto deaf ears.

"My darling, I think you need to cool down a bit." He said with a smirk and before she could object he threw her into the pool.

Hermione splashed ungracefully into the cool water and when she emerged to the surface trashing around breathlessly she caught sight of Draco who was laughing so hard he was almost on the floor clutching at his stomach.

"You think you're so clever!" She shouted over the sound of his triumphant laughs.

He looked at her and wiped a tear from his eye. "No babe, I know I'm clever." He corrected with a giggle.

"Oh really?" She asked as she pulled his wand out of the water and waved it teasingly in front of her face and watched as the smug look dropped off his face. He immediately reached for where his wand used to be; as if he didn't believe what he was seeing, only to find it wasn't there. He looked back to Hermione to see she now wore a victorious smirk on her face. She gave the wand a quick flick and hit Draco with a jinx causing him to lose his balance and fall into the pool just as ungracefully as she had before him.

* * *

They lay in bed together after finally drying off. Hermione had her head resting on Draco's chest listening to his heartbeat, it had easily became one of her favourite things to do.

"Can't we just stay here forever?" Hermione asked as Draco stroked her hair.

"I wish we could, but it's not possible." He said sadly and Hermione looked up at him, an irritated, confused look on her face.

"Why ever not?" She challenged. "You're the _Dark Overlord of the World"_ She said sarcastically as she drew circles on his chest with her finger. "You can do whatever you like."

"I wish," He scoffed. "You're much smarter than that." He said as he watched her fingers glide lazily over his skin. She looked at him and raised her eyebrow in question. "I wish we could just stay here too, for us to have a normal life, get married and have kids - boys of course." He said rather excitedly. "They'd go to Durmstrang and-"

"Hogwarts you mean?" She corrected and looked at him in shock.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me," He said as he rolled his eyes. "You'd have our boys go to that pathetic excuse of a school?"

"Hogwarts is the best school in the world." Hermione said not even attempting to hide how offended she was.

"You're deluded." He said and patted her patronisingly on the cheek which was starting to burn a pale shade of red as he wound her up.

She slapped him lightly on his chest and shot him a pointed look as he laughed. "Then why don't we stay? We can do all of that." She asked, turning the conversation serious once more.

"You don't need me to tell you. I know you've had it figured out since the beginning." He said as he avoided eye contact. She didn't respond she just waited for him to continue. He looked at her and then took a breath. "If I stand down or if I run away, we'll both be killed. As long as I'm alive I'm a threat to whoever they choose to replace me, we'd never be safe. I'd probably be dead within a month, at most. They'd probably take you as a slave or make me watch as they kill you." He explained and tensed up at the mere thought. "I need to stay on top, even if I wish I could just run away with you and just be.. Well happy I suppose, like I am right now." He said almost longingly.

Hermione nodded her head in understanding. Of course she knew, deep down Draco was a good person, a person that only she could ever know. Because any sign of weakness would get him and everyone he loved killed.

"I know." She said and leant her head on his chest. "I know and I understand the situation you're in. You're not on your own anymore." She said softly. "I'll always be by your side, whatever happens."

The words were like music to his ears. She was actually his, devoted and loyal just like he'd always wanted but he felt sadness inside him that he didn't recognise, guilt even? He'd put her through so much and she'd witnessed so much horror since she'd had anything to do with him, he'd drawn her in and made her fall for him and now she was in danger. Yes, it was definitely guilt.

"I'm sorry for the things I said to you after you set Potter and his snivelling friends free the other night. I saw how much it hurt you and it's haunted me ever since. Falling in love with you was definitely _not_ a mistake. I've loved you for as long as I can remember. It's actually the only thing I've ever done right." He said quietly. He looked down when she didn't reply to find her sleeping soundly on his chest. _Typical_ he thought and smiled sadly as he twirled one of her curls around in his finger. Even though Hermione's words had comforted him, he had a vicious thought biting at his subconscious.

 _I don't deserve her._

* * *

Hermione stayed in the shower for what felt like hours as she obsessed over everything that had happened recently, the grief of Cecil's murder would sweep over her every ten minutes or so making her uneasy and wanting to just breakdown. When she wasn't thinking about that she was thinking about Draco, how she'd chosen him over Harry, sided with the Dark Lord over the Chosen One and saviour of the wizarding world, how she'd chosen darkness over good. She was so regularly fighting a war against her own thoughts she'd almost gotten used to it. The one thing she knew for sure is that she loved Draco. It took her a long time to finally admit it to herself but now that she had, it was the only real thing she had to hold onto, the small light in the dark world she'd chosen. He hadn't been there when she woke up, it happened so regularly that she didn't even question it anymore. Maybe it was better if she didn't know what he was doing.

She walked out of the bathroom to find a delicate white dress lain out over the bed. She quickly dried and put it on. The dress was light and pretty, simple but still a knock out garment, they always were when he chose them. He knew what looked good on her better than she did.

Hermione heard a small pop from behind her and turned around quickly to find Trixie the House Elf standing nervously in front of her. "What are you doing here Trixie?" Hermione asked and let herself relax slightly.

"Trixie lives to serve the Malfoy's." The elf said simply.

"Then why are you _here_?" Hermione persisted. "I'm not a Malfoy so why are you standing there waiting for an order from me?"

"Lord Malfoy said that after the wedding Trixie is to serve you." Trixie explained.

"There wasn't a wedding." Hermione clipped.

"Trixie is here to serve Miss Prewett." The elf tried again.

"Granger." Hermione corrected and felt the necklace go bloody cold again. Her father obviously didn't want her to have anything to do with her old life and frankly it was starting to get on her nerves.

"Trixie is here to serve Miss Granger." The elf said simply but cautiously, the poor thing had obviously only ever encountered cruel wizards in her life.

"Fine, then I'll free you." Hermione said at last breaking the awkward silence. The elf would never have to suffer at the hands of dark wizards again. Hermione was shocked to see her wrinkled features gripped with fear and sadness.

"Nooo!" The elf cried. "Trixie good elf! Trixie will serve good!" She pleaded as she crawled to Hermione's feet sobbing.

"No, no, shhhhhh" Hermione said gently as she crouched down to the elf. "I thought you'd like to be free." Hermione explained and the elf frantically shook its head.

"Trixie lives to serve. Trixie will serve good. Serving the Malfoy's makes Trixie proud!" The elf explained and Hermione felt incredibly guilty.

"Would you help me with my hair Trixie?" Hermione asked and smiled as the little elves ears pricked up and her eyes gleamed with excitement. "It's rather hot out, so I'd like it off my shoulders but I'd like it to be pretty like this lovey dress Lord Malfoy picked out for me." Hermione said kindly but still almost chocked on the words she'd used to refer to Draco. _Lord,_ pfft! But that's how the world was now. Draco was right; they were too far in now to ever go back. She wasn't going to lose him now, not after everything she'd been though. She would do whatever she had to.

Trixie conjured magical little daisies and used them to create a delicate up-do. They sparkled slightly in the light as Hermione looked at her reflection in shock. "Trixie, where did you learn how to do this?" She asked the elf who seemed to be swelling with pride.

"The Lady Narcissa was kind to Trixie too." The elf said happily. Hermione had been terribly wrong about this elf, maybe they aren't all treated so badly after all.

"Have you seen Draco today?" Hermione asked the elf but she just looked to her feet awkwardly. "Where is he Trixie?" Hermione asked, more seriously this time.

"The Dark Lord summoned Trixie here, and then he left." The elf explained cautiously not looking up at Hermione.

"What do you mean he _left?"_ Hermione spat, not even meaning to sound spiteful but not being able to control herself.

The elf started to scratch at her hands as she grew uncomfortable. "Trixie is not to speak of it."

"Tell me!" Hermione shouted making the elf jump and take a few steps back.

"The Dark Lord has forbid it." The elf growled quietly and scratched more at her hands.

"He's left me?" Hermione asked, this time so quietly it was barely a whisper.

"The Dark Lord told Trixie to keep his love safe until he can return." The elf said awkwardly and scratched her hand so hard she drew blood.

"Trixie stop!" Hermione demanded as she ran over to the elf to inspect her wound.

"Trixie has said too much! Trixie needed to be punished!" The elf shrieked.

"No, no you're a good elf." Hermione explained. "You do not deserve to be punished." She said and when she noticed the elf had calmed down she smiled kindly. "Please excuse me for a moment." She said and then got up and left the room.

Hermione walked out onto the patio and looked out across the ocean. Why the hell did she have to go and tell him she wanted to stay here? She was so stupid. He'd left her; he'd actually left her here! She couldn't stop the tears falling from her eyes as her anger got the better of her. She knew he wouldn't have done it to hurt her, and only to keep her safe, but how dare he?! After everything they had been though. She promised she'd never leave him and then he left her.

Hermione sat on the patio from noon until the sun was hanging low in the sky. Even though Trixie had told her Draco was gone she still expected him to turn up, with his devilish smirk and a witty line but he never did. Trixie brought food out and tried to talk Hermione into eating it, saying it's what Draco would want, but she just wasn't in the mood. Who cares what Draco bloody wants? She thought. He's gone.

Hermione heard music in the distance which pulled her away from her bitter thoughts about the man who'd left her here, _alone._ The music was delicate and inviting as it travelled across the sands and into her ears. She stood up and started to absentmindedly follow it, not caring where it was coming from or who was playing it or where it was leading her; she would follow the heavenly sound to wherever it wanted her to go.

All of her hate and bitterness seemed to melt away as she walked across the beach; the only thing she could hear was the beautiful music she was following and the only thing she could feel was the sand between her toes.

She dreamily floated along the coastline with her eyes closed, letting the sounds sneer all of her senses.

Until it stopped.

The light carefree feeling she felt disappeared and all of the dread and sorrow she felt back at the Villa came crashing down on top of her again. She didn't want to open her eyes, out of fear of what she would find. Someone had lured her here and stupidly she'd fell for it. She could definitely feel someone else's presence, a dark presence like the one she felt around… Draco.

She flicked her eyes open to see him standing in front of her, looking as gorgeous as ever with a drop dead handsome smile on his stupid little face. "How could you!?" She shrieked and tried to punch him in the chest but he just grabbed her little wrists effortlessly and looked at her in confusion.

"What on earth did I do?" He asked, confused, but she didn't calm down, she just continued to thrash around cursing him as tears filled her eyes.

"You left me! You cockroach!" She cried.

"For a few hours! I never had you down as the possessive type." He joked but quickly realised that she was in no joking mood when she shot him a look that he was surprised didn't kill him on the spot.

"The elf told me you were gone! That you'd forbidden her to speak about it!"

"I couldn't have her giving away the surprise. I didn't realise she was going to scare you half to death. I'm sorry!" He said as she tried to struggle out of his grip, probably to just swing for him again. "I'm here." He said and then pulled her into his arms despite her best efforts to stop him.

"You're such an idiot!" She muffled into his chest. "I thought I'd lost you."

Even though seeing her in this fragile state made him feel incredibly guilty he couldn't help but smile. She didn't want to lose him, to the point of being a complete emotional wreck. Anyone would think she actually loved him... He couldn't stop the wave of happiness that swept through his whole body at the thought. "You're the idiot if you thought I'd ever leave you." He said as he stroked her hair in an attempt to comfort her. "Besides, I needed time to make arrangements."

"For what?" She demanded as she pulled away and looked at him with narrowed eyes. He didn't reply he just gestured slightly to his left and she flicked her eyes across the beach where she saw a pretty little wedding arch twinkling in the distance with three people standing around it. "Draco?" She whispered in shock as she stared.

"Only if you say yes." He said and put his hand on the small of her back and held his breath as he waited for her answer. He didn't have to wait for too long as she snapped her vision away from the arch to meet his.

"Yes." She said without hesitation. Draco smiled for a second, the most genuine smile she'd ever seen, and then kissed her gently. Hermione never thought she'd see the day where she would willingly marry this man, but whether she liked it or not, she loved him. Even though she didn't like the life that had chosen him, she couldn't deny her feelings, a life without Draco would be empty.

"Who are those people over there?" She asked as she squinted her eyes to try and make out the figures. "It's funny, they look like my.."

"They don't remember everything, you need to go slow." He said before she could finish.

Hermione's breath got caught in her throat and words completely escaped her. It couldn't be.

"Take your time." Draco said as he studied her reaction carefully.

"But you hate muggles." She said at last and Draco couldn't help but laugh, of all the things she could say right now, that's what she chose.

"What in the world gave you that idea?" He asked and she looked at him and raised her eyebrows as if it were obvious. "Why do you think I chose to buy property in Australia? Not to mention, I believe you need witnesses for a muggle wedding, yes?"

"I can't believe this." She said as she tried to process everything that was happening. "This isn't safe. I obliviated them for a reason."

"I assure you, The _Dark Lord.._ " He said sarcastically for the first time which surprised Hermione almost as much as seeing her parents. "..has no interest in harming them, or you, anymore."

"I- I don't know what to say." She stuttered nervously.

"Say you'll marry me?" He said and extended his arm for her to take and he began to lead her across the beach.

"How much will they remember?" She asked as she got closer.

"I've been working on them as much as I can but I can't say I've had much time. More will come eventually." He explained as they walked.

"How did you know?" She asked but he just shook his head.

"Later." He dismissed, she would have argued and demanded to know but they were too close now. "Mr and Mrs Granger.." Draco said kindly as if addressing his own friends. "This is Hermione, your daughter." He said and gestured to Hermione.

"There's no need for introductions Draco." Her mother said kindly. "I know my little girl."

Hermione couldn't help but throw her arms around her mother and hold her as tightly as she could. "Please don't forget me again." Was all she could manage to say.

"Not on your life." The rough voice of Mr Granger came from behind her mother, "We might not share the same blood, but you'll always be my daughter."

Hermione extended her arm and pulled him into her and her mothers embrace. They stayed holding each-other silently until Hermione felt Draco's hand on her shoulder. "Come on sweetheart, this is our wedding remember." He said and she pulled away from her parents who both looked at her with adoring smiles on their faces.

"We're so proud." Mrs Granger said and Hermione could see she was being genuinely honest. "We're delighted you've found such a lovely young man."

"If only they knew the truth, darling." Draco said jokingly and they all shared a laugh.

Draco took Hermione's arm again and led her to the arch and the third person in the group. "Who is this?" Hermione asked as she looked at the man cautiously.

"Some holy muggle guy, it's not important." Draco said, not caring how much he'd just offended the old man in front of them.

"I'll have you know, I'm a priest!" He scoffed and looked at Draco like he was the biggest sinner he'd ever encountered. Little did he know, he probably was.

It was almost as if the old man wasn't even standing there at all, despite the mild look of irritation on Draco's face, which was so subtle Hermione almost missed it. "If only you knew who _I_ was." Draco said lazily, already growing impatient with the old man.

The priest shot a pointed look at Draco and then dramatically cleared his throat and began. "We are gathered here today, to bear witness to the holy matrimony of Draco Lucius Malfoy and Hermione Molly Jean Granger-Prewett."

Hermione looked at Draco and smiled, he was perfect.

Before Hermione knew it, it was time for the vows. Draco extended his arm and held out his hand for Hermione to take. As she reached out he grabbed hold of her wrist gently. "Take my wrist." He said quietly and she did as he'd asked. Draco closed his eyes and a thin tongue of purple flame wound around their hands like hot wire. "I don't expect you to-" Draco said as he reopened his eyes to look at her looking down at their hands with wide, worried eyes. "-but this is the way I want to make my vow to you." Hermione had never seen this magic performed before but had read enough about it to know what it was. She'd expected the light to be a different colour but apart from that it was exactly how she'd expected it to be.

"Sorcery!" The priest said in horror as he looked at the explainable light around their hands. "You'll burn in hell for this! I-"

"Listen Old Man!" Draco clipped. "If you don't continue- with some respect, I will use my _sorcery_ to throw you into the sea. See if your _God_ can save you then." He spat nastily.

"Draco!" Hermione scolded through gritted teeth. "What will my parents think?" She asked as she shot him a warning look before turning her attention to her parents with an apologetic smile. "He's not very religious." She tried to explain but the shocked look didn't leave their face the way she'd hoped.

Draco didn't once take his eyes off the old man. "No harm done, we're all children of God here." Said the priest and then cleared his throat again. Hermione took at glance at her parents again who seemed to have calmed down a little after hearing the priests kind tone. She looked back to the priest waiting for him to continue and noticed a faint yellow glint in his eye. Draco was cursing him, an unforgivable for that matter. The light around their arms started to grow dimmer and Hermione tried to break the grip but Draco wouldn't let her.

"Don't." Draco said calmly but Hermione heard the warning laced in his voice. "It's alright; the man said no harm done."

Hermione looked back to the priest who seemed to be himself again judging by the confused look on his face. He looked at the pair for a moment and then gestured for Draco to continue. The priest was definitely going to need his memory altered after this.

The light around their hands started to burn brighter again. Hermione was angry that he'd used the imperious curse on the priest at their wedding but she couldn't help but just feel grateful that it had calmed her parents down, and whatever he did had made priest comply without causing a complete scene. She didn't agree with the way Draco handled things but she couldn't deny that he always got the result he desired, which in a world at war wasn't something Hermione could really argue with.

"I, Draco Lucius Malfoy, take you Hermione Molly Jean Granger-Prewett to be my wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward; for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to protect, till death us do part." Draco said as he looked deep into Hermione's eyes sealing the magical vow.

He let go of Hermione's wrist but she held on tightly to his. "Why are you letting go? We're not done yet." She said with a smile.

"You don't have to do this." He said sincerely but she just shook her head.

"I want to." She assured him and he cautiously took her by the wrist again and locked their arms together, reigniting the light of the unbreakable vow once again.

"I, Hermione Molly Jean Granger-Prewett, take you, Draco Lucius Malfoy to be my husband-" She took a deep breath and then continued. "-to have and to hold, from this day forward; for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part."

She felt the magic coursing through her whole body as it connected her and Draco together. The unbreakable vow had been performed, one way or another she would be Mrs Malfoy until she took her last breath... and she was surprisingly okay with that.

"I now pronounce you, man and wife."


	22. Chapter 22

**Please read chapter 21 before you continue.. it was posted at the same time as this one so make sure you haven't missed it.**

* * *

They had been back at the Manor for a week now, she'd barely seen Draco since they stepped foot back inside the cold, haunting place she now called home. The memory of their time in Australia already felt like a distant dream.

She was never alone though; he always had one of his most trusted lap-dogs not too far away watching over her. Something was happening but Draco didn't give anything away, she'd ask and even try to trick him into spilling the beans but he never did, which is why Hermione now found herself snooping around the Manor, absentmindedly looking for clues having given Dimitri the slip. She heard voices and stopped in her tracks.

"Your absence was noticed, and they used it to their advantage." She heard the unmistakable voice of Blaise float quietly through the hallway. She moved closer to the source as quietly as she could before she noticed where the noise was coming from; a small crack through the door to Draco's study.

"What's the damage?" Draco asked lazily, as though he didn't care to hear Blaise' words.

"Detrimental, I assure you." Blaise said carefully.

"What of Parkinson? Did your lead pay off?" Draco asked, dismissing what Blaise had said.

"No, My Lord. It appears they're aiding her." Blaise explained but Draco didn't respond. Hermione imagined him to be deep in thought. Who could they be talking about? Who could be helping Pansy evade the Dark Lords best men so easily?

A strong hand clamped over Hermione's mouth as she listened. She tried to scream for Draco's help only to be pulled away violently and shoved into the nearest room.

"Are you trying to get yourself into trouble, Mrs Malfoy?" Dimitri asked through gritted teeth as if Hermione was a silly little child.

"I know what I'm doing Dimitri! Things aren't the way they used to be!" She said in a raised whisper, despite what she was saying, still worried that someone might overhear.

"No, you're damn right things aren't the way they used to be. They're _worse!"_ He clipped.

Hermione raised an eyebrow and folded her arms against her chest. "Do tell.." She urged, hoping to get some information from what was now her only friend.

"If you don't already know Mrs Malfoy, it's not for me to say." He said politely.

"Don't call me that." She snapped. Even though she felt like she was doing the right thing by marrying Draco it was still a notion that made her feel uneasy. Hearing people calling her by _his_ name made her dream world come crashing ungracefully into her reality. "If you can't tell me anything new then you're of no use to me. You're dismissed." She said and then turned her back on him.

Dimitri laughed and patted her brutishly on the back knocking the breath out of her, he definitely didn't realise his own strength but Hermione didn't mind, it made her feel human with all the people tip toeing around her afraid to even look in her direction for what Draco might do. "I see our young Dark Prince is rubbing off on you.. _Princess."_ He joked and she slapped his arm.

"I'd rather you just call me Mrs Malfoy if _that's_ the alternative!" She scoffed.

His face turned serious again. "You can't keep snooping around, he won't be happy if he finds out."

"I'm his wife!"

"You think that will stop him?" He asked, and just like he'd hoped she didn't have anything to say in response. "If you think you've changed him you're a fool. You've never striked me as a fool Hermione." He said and again, she didn't have anything to say. After all, he'd barely spoken to her since they'd tied the stupid knot. They'd returned back to this dreadful place and he'd dived straight back into his work, more so than ever before.

"He wouldn't hurt me." She said as confidently as she could.

"No, he wouldn't let anyone _else_ hurt you." Dimitri corrected with eyes that spelled only warning. "That's why you'd do well not to get on the wrong side of him. Do you understand?"

Hermione nodded her head, maybe he was right. "I just feel so useless." She admitted. "I know somethings going on I'm not stupid!"

"I know you're not, far from it actually." He said with a smile. "I won't lie to you Hermione; things haven't looked this bad for a long time. I'm sworn to silence so I can't enlighten you on the situation but I will say this- keep your guard up, nobody can be trusted."

"Hmm yeah, great advice." She said sarcastically. "Why don't you tell me something I don't know?"

"You've already made it through one war Hermione, you already know everything you need to." He said and then turned to leave as the cogs in her mind twisted and turned.

"Oh no you don't!" She said and grabbed his large arm in her tiny hand. "There's going to be a war?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "There's always a chance of war in this business. If it ever comes to that I'm sure you'll have enough experience to get through it just fine. Your reputation is rather legendary."

"I have experience fighting for the good side! It's hardly the same!" She spat.

"Only difference I see is that you'll be on the winning side for once." He laughed but she remained serious as she shot him a dirty look.

"I'm certain fighting _against_ my friends is going to be harder than fighting _with_ them." She said and folded her arms over her chest stubbornly once again.

"We're your friends now. We'll be the ones protecting you while they're trying to murder the person who betrayed them in the worst way possible." Again, Hermione had nothing she could say in response. She opened her mouth only to snap it shut again. His words had hurt her there was no denying that but she did appreciate his honesty. "Besides, if you think the Dark Lord is going to let you onto any kind of battlefield you're obviously more of an idiot than people think." He laughed and then turned to leave again only to be pulled back and faced with Hermione's burning eyes.

"I'd like to see him try and stop me." She seethed as she dug her fingers into his rock solid bicep.

He just chuckled darkly. "So would I, it would be quite a battle. A battle you will lose though. As brilliant as you are Hermione he will always beat you. As clever as you are, he will always be on step ahead. You might be brave but he is ruthless. However much you think you love him, he will always love you more." He took the hand digging into his arm into his own hand and held it gently. "You're not trained in the Dark Arts Hermione, he would be a fool to let you fight and you know it."

Hermione stared into space, speechless as his words sank into her very soul. "Teach me Dimitri, please." She asked and looked into his eyes but he just shook his head.

"He wouldn't like it." He dismissed and she squeezed his hand tightly.

"You've taught me before! That's what he wanted!"

"And look at what it did to you! It ripped him apart seeing you that way, now all he wants to do is keep you away from it all and I can't say I blame him." Dimitri said as he rubbed his eyelids with his finger and this thumb.

"I'm begging you." She said desperately.

Dimitri sighed deeply and nodded his head slightly.

"Thank you!" Hermione said in relief and threw her arms around him and hugged him as tightly as she could.

"I can never say no to a pretty face." He joked. "It will get me killed some day!"

"Well it won't be mine that gets you killed." She assured him. "You won't regret this I promise!"

* * *

Draco sat at the head of his dining table and listened to his followers talking amongst themselves. Talk of uprising, overthrowing and war at the tip of everyone's tongue. He'd heard nothing else for the last two weeks and it was all starting to sound the same. "I'm hearing a lot of problems here and not many solutions. Tell me again why I have you all on my council?" Draco asked impatiently bringing the room to silence. It was the first time he'd spoken since the meeting had begun.

"My Lord, we don't have much information." Said a lanky, dark haired man from across the table.

Draco shot him a look which sent the young man an unhealthy shade of white. "Well then _find_ some more information." Draco hissed and the man bowed his head. "What are you waiting for?" Draco asked and the man stuttered. "Get a team together and go!" He shouted and the young death eater sprung out of the chair and scurried for the door as Draco's words echoed around the room.

Draco's team sat in silence while he looked around at them in disgust. "You're not here to feed me problems. I let you live so you can serve me so I suggest you get out there and serve! Find out everything you can about these people and then do everything you can to destroy them. I want you to find out who they are, where they are, who they love, who they know and what they want. Anything we can use against them I want you to use it." He explained calmly but the look on his face showed a twisted anger that was plain to see. "If you come to me with another problem you don't know how to solve I will literally mount your head on my wall. No more loose ends, am I understood?"

The team of death eaters nodded except for one man, an older man who looked about forty years old. "The problem is people think you've gone soft, and even all of us working night and day couldn't find a solution for that." The old man said smugly with his head high.

Draco didn't respond he just looked at the man coldly for a few seconds before he stood up and struck him with a killing curse which lit the whole room green before the man thudded lifelessly onto the table. "Double the raids, take hostages and kill their families." Draco said simply and then walked away.

He marched down the hallway angrily with Blaise on his heels. "My Lord!" He shouted as he caught up but Draco didn't slow.

"Where's my wife?" He demanded ignoring his calls.

"I believe she's in the ballroom with Devereux, they've been spending a lot of time together recently." Blaise said and Draco stopped in his tracks.

"What are you trying to suggest?" He asked and Blaise shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm only pointing out that your wife is spending more time with another man than she is with you." Blaise said.

"I don't need to worry about that. She is loyal to me and only me now." Draco said confidently.

"And what do you think she'll do when her lover Harry Potter comes knocking the front-door with his shiny new army while we're being attacked by our own forces from the back-door?" Blaise asked. "You think she'll be loyal to you then? When she actually has a choice?"

Blaise was answered by Draco's fist connecting with his jaw, knocking him backwards into the wall. "You're my best friend Blaise, don't cross the line like that again."

"Exactly! I'm your best friend and the only person in this world who's not afraid to be honest with you!" Blaise shouted as he clutched his face in pain.

"I don't have to worry about her running off with Potter do you understand?" He said as he leant closer to him. "She belongs to _me_." He said quietly as if he was telling Blaise a secret.

"Does she?" Blaise asked, still as confident as before despite Draco being dangerously angry. Draco didn't reply he just stared at Blaise for a few moments before walking away towards the ballroom leaving Blaise alone to nurse his wound.

Draco pushed open the large heavy doors distracting Devereux from his duel. Hermione used his guard being down to her advantage and fired a jet of fire out of her wand which took the shape of an arrow as it flew towards Devereux who narrowly avoided it, only just moving out of its way. He looked at the burnt fabric on his sleeve and then to Hermione in amazement.

"Rule number three: Don't let your guard down." Hermione mocked, remembering a session a few days ago where she'd been hit by a Crucio because a bee had flown unexpectedly into her face distracting her completely from the offensive spells Dimitri was relentlessly firing at her. The training got pretty brutal at times but Dimitri was right, if she was going to be any use to anyone she would need to get used to it.

"What in Merlin's name do you call this?" Draco's loud, quite clearly irritated voice echoed around the room causing Hermione to jump out of her skin. She could hear Dimitri in her mind reminding her of rule number four: _Always pay attention to what's happening around you_. She'd been so focused on finally beating him that she could have just been killed from the opposite direction, which would probably be better than what was actually happening. She'd just been caught secretly training by Draco himself and couldn't have looked more guilty if she tried.

Draco took slow steps towards her as the stood frozen to the spot in thought, trying to think of something reasonable to say. His meeting's lasted for hours these days so she'd expected to have longer than forty minutes to practice. "Well?" He said causing her to jump slightly again. She hoped he hadn't noticed but would bet anything that he had, he didn't miss a thing.

"We're duelling." She said simply as he glared at her. "I love my new wand; I've been breaking it in. It works really well for me, almost as well as my old one." She said happily as she inspected the expensive, elegant wand in her hands, it was a good way to not have to look at him she supposed.

Draco held out his hand and gestured for her to place her new wand in it. She gave it to him cautiously and he took it gracefully in his hands, inspecting the fine golden roses crafted into the handle. "It is a fine wand." Draco said as he admired it. "But it will never fit you as well as your old one." He said and Hermione looked it him again to find he was no longer admiring the wand and was now looking at her. He was angry, she could tell. "The wand you just gave away." He added nastily. "The piece of yourself you gave to _him."_ He spat and then shoved the wand back into her hands.

"I thought we'd moved past that." She said quietly.

"I was merciful enough to forgive you for that, I even made you my wife, and then you have the audacity to _lie_ to me?" He spat, his voice grew louder with every word.

"Draco, I don't know what you mean."

"Dark magic leaves traces, my love." He said and moved closer to her. They were so close they were almost touching when he stopped and looked down at her in disgust. "I can smell it all over you." He spat and she closed her eyes to avoid his judgemental stare. He was almost predatory and she just needed to concentrate on controlling her breathing and staying calm. "You've been learning the Dark Arts haven't you?"

"So what if I have?" She asked suddenly and moved away from him to create some space between them. The distance created was almost instantly closed as he grabbed her arm and stepped closer again preventing her from escaping again.

"It's a little different from duelling." He said quietly.

"I knew you wouldn't understand." She said as calmly as she could, trying her best to keep her voice steady.

Draco laughed quietly but darkly and Hermione could feel his breath against her hair and it sent shivers down her spine. "I understand that you've lied to me again after only two weeks of marriage." He laughed again. "And you expect me to trust you." He said nastily, Blaise's words ringing in his mind.

"Yes I expect you to trust me!" She said and tried to struggle out of his grip but he just pulled her roughly into place. "I made the unbreakable vow for you!" She spat, finally finding her bravery. "I willingly promised myself to you for the rest of my pathetic life! Not Potter! Not Devereux! You!" She seethed and finally broke out of his grip. "What more do you want from me?!" She asked and then stared at him as she caught her breath.

"I want all of you." He said simply.

She narrowed her eyes and folded her arms. "Haven't you already?" She asked nastily. "Haven't you already picked me apart piece by piece?" She spat.

"Careful." He warned but she just rolled her eyes which sent a bolt of anger through his chest.

"You know what? fuck you." She spat and held out her arms either side of her. "I don't care anymore!" She shouted as he clenched his fists. "I betray my people for you, it's not enough! I abandon everything I stand for, it's not enough! I try to learn the Dark Arts so I can be more like you, oh and guess what? That's not enough either!"

Devereux had his hand firmly wrapped around his wand as he waited anxiously for Draco to respond. Hermione had officially lost her mind.

She glared at Draco for a few seconds and then turned to leave. She wasn't surprised to find his grip on her arm pulling her back into place but she was surprised when he entered her mind and started to flick through her memories, pulling up the worst ones he could find and making her relive them all over again.

She saw Sirius struck down dead in the Department of Mysteries,

Dumbledore's dead body with the dark mark looming over Hogwarts,

Bellatrix torturing her,

Lucius torturing her,

Ginny,

Theo, Mr and Mrs Nott.

He was making her relive every single bad, heartbreaking thing he could find.

Hermione dreaded the next image he was going to pull up, but to her utter relief he stopped before making her relive Cecil's brutal murder. He allowed her to see a glimpse of the wedding but nothing else, just a subtle reminder.

He pulled out of her mind leaving her panting on the floor drenched in her own tears and sweat. The pain Draco felt in his heart was like nothing he'd ever felt before. It was for her own good, he tried to tell himself and resisted the urge to pick her up and cradle her in his arms. "That is dark magic." He said firmly. "Clearly you can't handle it." He said and gestured to her broken state on the floor of the ballroom.

"You're wrong." She chocked and forced herself to look up at him.

He crouched down in front of her and hooked her chin with his index finger. "If I don't think you're going to be safe here I'll send you back to Australia to live with your parents. Would you prefer that?" He asked and she looked at him with hate as she shook her head. Of course he wouldn't really do that, she would only ever be truly safe with him, that's if she didn't end up killing herself experimenting with dark magic she knew nothing about. "Your little play date is over." He spat and then left the ballroom, slamming the heavy doors behind him.

Devereux rushed over to Hermione and fell to the floor beside her and wrapped his big arms around her as she trembled slightly.

"I'm sorry you had to see that Dimitri, You were right, he hasn't changed at all." She said and buried her face into his chest.

"I've never seen him truly care for anyone the way he cares for you. He just wants to protect you."

"I don't need to be protected!" She said stubbornly but he just raised his eyebrows.

"Sure looked like you needed protecting to me… and to Draco." He explained. "When you we're being attacked by your own memories."

"I'm going to prove him wrong, I'm sick of being treated like a victim. You need to help me!"

"Well first of all you need to stop crying like a little baby." He said and rolled his eyes. "You're not in school anymore you need to grow up. The world is a dark place and you and your beloved are smack bang in the middle of it."

She sniffed and nodded her head as she wiped the tears away from her face with her sleeve.

"Good girl, now raise your wand. We're not finished yet." He said with a smirk and she smiled before pushing herself to her feet again.

* * *

Draco once again sat at the head of his dining table, only this time instead of his followers he was joined by his wife, who hadn't spoken one word to him since their encounter the day before, and Blaise and Devereux at the other end talking quietly amongst themselves.

Hermione sat with her pumpkin juice in one hand and a page of The Daily Prophet in the other as she read. Draco was nursing a particularly nasty hangover and was trying to go over Ministry files of those suspected of betraying him. He was struggling to concentrate and his darling wife wasn't making it any easier by dramatically turning the pages of the newspaper or slamming her glass on the table whenever she put the damn thing down.

Hermione was revelling in the fact that she was pushing his buttons. Every time he tensed slightly when she noisily turned a page or slurped her juice would make her feel oddly victorious.

Draco's fists were clenched tightly together as he read over the papers in front of him as calmly as he could, trying his best to ignore her.

Hermione smirked as she watched him. "Oh Dimitri?" She called down the table. "Won't you please play us a song?" She asked and gestured to the piano across the room. "I do love listening to you play."

Devereux looked at her in shock. "Really? I never thought I was really very good."

"Your music is delightful." She insisted and so he stood up and took a seat at the piano, stretched out his arms and then began to play.

His clunky fingers grazed ungracefully over the keys of the grand piano as he played a song none of them had ever heard of, but whatever it was they were all sure it wasn't supposed to sound anything like this.

Draco put his head into his hands as Hermione began to clap along to Devereux' clumsy tune. Blaise laughed silently into his hand as he watched the unusual scene play out around him. She was playing Draco like a tune and it was actually working.

"What do you want from me?" Draco asked as he pulled his head out of his hands.

"I don't know what you mean, darling." Hermione dismissed as she clapped along happily not paying attention to him.

"I know what you're trying to do." He said impatiently.

"Well then why are you asking?" She said slowly and mockingly as if he was the most stupid person she'd even spoken to.

"Why does everything need to be a fight with you?!" He shouted suddenly, slamming his fist against the table causing ripples to form in Hermione's juice. Devereux stopped playing and moved back over to his seat opposite Blaise and sat with him quietly.

"You're the one who tortured your own wife with her own traumatising memories. Don't lecture me." She said and loudly flicked the page of the newspaper in front of her causing Draco to grab it, screw it into a ball and throw it into the fire. He then took his seat again and turned his attention back to the files he was trying to read.

"Isn't married life just everything you pictured it to be, Devereux?" Blaise said and playfully. Draco shot him a look and Blaise knew it was a sign for him to leave. "Let's give these two some space." He said and then stood up. Devereux didn't respond he just looked at Hermione with worried eyes and only when she nodded her head did he too stand to leave. It didn't go unnoticed by Draco like she would have hoped; he was glaring at her when she turned to look back at him.

"What was that?" He asked and sat back in his chair.

"You asked the man to protect me, the way I see it he was only doing as you commanded." She said simply as she sat as confidently as she could and never broke eye contact with Draco.

"You don't need to be protected from me, I'm your husband." He said calmly but his hands were still balled into fists.

"Don't I?" She asked and tilted her head to the side as she glared at him. He stood up suddenly which sent his chair crashing backwards onto the floor with a clatter that echoed around the whole room. Hermione had been expecting something and jumped so slightly she was sure it could have gone unnoticed. Although Draco wasn't looking at her now, he'd moved over to the fireplace and was watching the flames instead. She remained seated and sat with her head high.

"How is it, that with everything going on it's _you_ who actually manages to get to me?" He asked as he massaged his temples with his index finger and his thumb.

"I wouldn't know. You don't tell me anything." She said calmly and turned slightly in her chair to face him, even though he didn't look in her direction.

"You're supposed to be the one helping me." He said, clearly exhausted from his hangover and this morning's events.

"How can I help you? When you don't tell me anything?" She persisted and he turned around at last to glare at her.

"You've been practicing dark magic behind my back!" He shouted, this time taking her by surprise but she didn't falter, she remained confident.

"I thought it would be what you wanted, given the nature of your work." She explained calmly. "I thought I _was_ helping."

"You think dark magic is just something you can play around with?" He spat.

"Dimitri is quite the professional I assure you." She said in defence and saw Draco's face immediately change into a mix of anger and jealousy as her words floated through the air.

"You think Devereux knows more about dark magic than me?" Draco asked darkly as he started to take painfully slow steps towards her. The sound of each step was ringing like alarm bells in her mind. "Do you have any idea what practising the Dark Arts is _really_ like?" He asked as he approached.

Hermione knew she was on _very_ thin ice right now but kept her composure. She stood up proudly in front of him just as he was in touching distance. She wasn't going to cower like a deer in the headlights anymore. "How would I know? _You don't tell me anything_." She said coldly, as if she didn't have a care in the world about what he might do.

He grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled her head back as he pushed her body against the table with his own. "Well then let me _show_ you." He said darkly.

She just laughed. "I doubt there's much you can show me that I don't already know." Despite the fact he was dangerously close and had her trapped she didn't look away from his face, and not because he was holding it firmly in place, but because this time he wasn't going to win.

He just stared at her for a moment as she breathed heavily and angrily beneath his body, her words ringing in his ears. He pulled her face closer to his, and just as his lips were about to touch hers he stopped. She could feel his cold breath against her mouth as she stood before him like a lamb to slaughter. "You haven't even grazed the surface you silly little girl." He hissed and before she could react his lips were against hers kissing her deeply and roughly, she tried to pull away but the grip he had on her hair only tightened.

"Do you think- that dark magic- is going to let you go- once it has a hold of you?" He said against her lips in between rough kisses. He muffled her attempt to respond with yet more kisses as he caressed her body with one hand and held her head in place with the other.

Now this had taken Hermione by surprise, out of all the scenarios she'd imagined, being straddled against the dining table was definitely not one of them. Just as she began to relax he bit down into her lip hard enough to draw blood.

"And just when you think you're in control, it will do something you don't expect." He explained as she looked at him trying to suppress her horror as she tasted the copper of blood in her mouth. He looked at her smugly but she just shrugged her shoulders.

"I like the taste." She said smoothly and then licked the blood from her lip.

He raised an eyebrow and looked at her deviously. "You like it _now."_ He said quietly. She knew what he was trying to do and she wasn't going to let him get away with it. He wouldn't be able to make her stop and put her in a corner to sit idly by while a war erupted around them.

He snaked his hand under her simple dress and despite her hand around his wrist he knew she wasn't trying to push him away, she just wanted it to look like she was. She didn't want to look like she was giving in to him but he could tell she already had. He slipped in one of his fingers and even though she tried to hide it, he could feel that it was welcome. "You have a little taste, and then you want more.." He said quietly as he held her in place physically with one hand and emotionally with the other as he captivated her with his skillful movements, every touch lowering her defences. "You do want more, don't you?" He whispered into her ear as he felt her legs start to tremble beneath him.

She could feel herself slipping away and so she closed her eyes in a hope to block him out. Dimitri's words echoing around her mind; _he will always be one step ahead._ She knew exactly what he wanted; her submission. He was using her own loneliness against her, whether he knew that or not, she didn't know. Knowing him though he most definitely knew exactly what he was doing, and it was working. They hadn't been this way since their wedding night and she was desperate to be close to him again.

"I thought you said you liked the taste?" He said into her neck as he kissed and nipped his way down to her collar bone. "I know I do." He purred gently against her skin which sent tingles down her spine. "Do you want to delve _deeper_ into the Dark Arts?" He asked as he pushed himself against her harder.

He looked at her and loosened his grip on her hair slightly so she could respond. She looked at him with her innocent, brown orbs and cautiously nodded her head. He kissed her roughly again and began to unbuckle his trousers. He moved from her lips and back to her neck and began to nip and suck her delicate skin, slightly rougher than before leaving small marks as he did. "It feels good right?-" He breathed against her sore skin. "-but you know it's wrong." He whispered as he placed soft gentle kisses over her bite wounds. "and even though it hurts, you don't want it to stop." He said and she noticed how dissatisfied she was at his change of pace. "You want more?" He asked and she nodded her head immediately.

All of a sudden he flipped her over and bent her over the table, parting her legs between his own. He had her hair still wrapped around his one hand while he lined himself up with the other. "Once you get a taste of dark magic, it leaves your body craving for more." He pushed in to her slightly but not completely as he stood behind her. "Until you're practically begging for it."

"Please.." She said breathlessly and he pushed completely into her taking her breath completely away.

"It takes over-" He said as he thrust into her again, harder this time. "-you think you're the one in control-" He said with another thrust. "-but you're not."

She tried to pull away from him in a stubborn effort to prove him wrong but she was pulled effortlessly and roughly back into place. " _but you're not."_ He repeated, this time more slowly for emphasis.

"You'd be surprised." She said as if the words took a great deal of effort only for him to thrust harder into her taking her breath away again. She was not going to be beaten; she was going to prove him wrong. She wasn't as fragile as he thought. She could handle dark magic, and she could handle him.

"You think you're so clever at first, so talented." He continued. "The pleasure it gives you is unmatched." He said and smirked as she finally let a moan escape her pretty little mouth. "Until it takes over your whole body and it's all you can think about."

He knew exactly what to say and exactly when to say it, Hermione didn't stand a chance. He was proving his point exactly the way he wanted to and there was nothing she could do about it. _Always one step ahead._ She was just about to hit her climax when he pulled out of her and flipped her back around to face him and lifted her onto the table with her legs open.

He could tell she was annoyed that he'd stopped by the look on her face; this was the war he'd always win, the one between him and her. "Your body is just screaming for it." He said as he bit at her neck again leaving her body craving more. "and it won't stop until you give it what it wants." He said and then pushed into her again, still nipping and biting around her neck and shoulders.

"What does it want?" She asked as she caressed her hands over his back.

"Everything." He whispered and after just a few more thrusts he got her right where he wanted and she climaxed as he held her back and hair firmly and kissed her neck. He'd grown to know her body better than his own, and he would be stupid not to use it to his advantage. "And once it has every single part of you, there's no going back."

Even though her thoughts were completely scattered by the waves of pleasure Draco was relentlessly pushing though her body she couldn't help but feel as though he was referring to more than just dark magic, like he had more than one point to prove.

"It leaves a mark on you that can never be erased." He said as he finished her off, feeling himself coming closer "Until there is nothing pure left." He said breathlessly and then came as well. He held her quivering body against his as they caught their breath. "It changes you." He said finally.

"Maybe you're wrong, maybe I've been this way all along." She suggested and bit playfully at his neck but he just pulled away from her.

"It feels good at the time, but you're left feeling dirty and ashamed." He said and looked at her seriously. Noticing her begin to think about what she'd just done. "and it disgusts you, because all you want is more." He added and stroked her jawline teasingly and she swallowed hard realising that this was the lesson he was trying to teach her. "Luckily for you this is not dark magic, and therefore nothing to be ashamed of." He said and planted a delicate kiss onto her forehead. "There are much more pleasurable things in this world than the Dark Arts."

"Then why do you like it so much? I can tell you do by the way you talk about it." She asked stubbornly and looked into his eyes.

"It captured me and empowered me until there was no me left. Now it's taking everything." He explained. "I don't do it because I want to; I do it because I have to."

"If you have to then so do I, we're a team Draco." She tried but he just shook his head. "I know there's a war coming, let me help you-"

"Help me by staying alive!" He clipped and pulled her hair again to look him in the face. "You're good, and you are not capable of fighting in a dark war do you understand? I have worked too hard to lose you now!"

"Is that all I am to you? Another conquest?" She asked and Draco could tell she was clearly offended.

He was just about to respond when Blaise burst through the door and immediately looked embarrassed and turned his face away. "I'm so sorry My Lord, My Lady, I didn't expect-"

"This had better be good." Draco interrupted as he released Hermione's hair and began to fiddle around with his belt, trying to refasten it.

"It's your mother, she's waiting for you in the living-room."


	23. Chapter 23

**Thank you to my beta ShepardMasterMind.**

* * *

"I can't believe you have the nerve to show your face around here after everything you've done." Draco spat as he entered the room, drawing his mother's attention away from the fabric chosen for the new curtains.

"Much nicer." She said and then gestured to them, ignoring him. "Would I be right to assume Hermione chose them?" She asked kindly.

"Don't you even say her name, you have no right." He said through gritted teeth, his anger towards his mother for removing the silver snake from Hermione's ankle on their wedding day clear in his voice.

"All I did was give your wife the freedom to choose, something you should have given her from the beginning." She said impatiently. "She chose you didn't she? Aren't the two of you now living happily ever after?"

"If that's what you call it." He said under his breath and then made his way across the room to pour himself a drink. He needed something to soothe his headache and talking certainly wasn't going to do the trick.

"Trouble in paradise?" She asked as she moved away from the curtains to approach him.

"You'll know what she's going through better than anyone." He spat.

"Which is exactly why I freed her." She countered as she took slow steps across the room towards him.

"It's a shame you didn't care enough to free your own son from this life." He hissed and she stopped a safe distance away from him, hearing the venom in his voice. "Don't act like you did it to save her, you did it for yourself."

"I did it for you." She corrected.

"If you cared about me, if you ever cared about me, you wouldn't have offered me to Voldemort on a plate when I was just a child! To be tortured and brainwashed in preparation for this!" He spat as he swirled the drink around his glass carelessly before talking a large gulp.

"She isn't safe here, you know?" She said softly, ignoring him and changing the subject.

"She isn't safe anywhere." He said as he looked into his glass.

"There is one place.." Narcissa began and continued only when Draco nodded his head. "Let me take her back to Hogwarts with me. I'll put her under my own protection." She suggested.

"Hogwarts isn't safe." He clipped.

"Hogwarts is the safest place in the world, there's nowhere like it." She argued.

"Hogwarts never _has_ been, and never _will_ be safe." He said firmly. "There is only one person who can protect her and it isn't you."

"I just hope you're right." Narcissa said with a sigh. "Things are worse than ever."

"I don't need you to tell me that, thanks to you Potter and his friends are free and raising an army against me. Now get out." He snapped and then left the room quickly, slamming the door behind him, not caring to hear another word out of her.

Draco walked through the hallways of the Manor. His mother was right, as much as he hated to admit it. Things were going from bad to worse very quickly and Hermione was now in serious danger and it was all because he'd let his guard down.

He walked into the dining room to find her chatting away as she helped Trixie clear away the glasses and wipe over the table. Trixie looked irritated that Hermione was getting in the way but Hermione was oblivious to it as she rambled on about the story of the Deathly Hallows, and how she wondered how many more children's tales could be based on true stories. She listed a few she was suspicious of including a few muggle tales Draco had never heard of.

He watched her for a few minutes, admiring her calmness and elegance and she rambled on aimlessly. She was so innocent, and so fragile, the one thing in this world he cared for and it could be so easily taken away.

"Darling?" He said and smiled when she turned to face him.

"How was it?" She asked sweetly, he always loved how genuinely interested she was in him.

"Tolerable." He snorted and walked across the room to her. "Listen, you know we're going to war don't you?" He asked and took her hand gently in his. She nodded her head but looked at him with her big browns willing him to continue. "You're not safe here."

She pulled away from him and looked at him as if she didn't recognise him anymore. "What are you suggesting?" She asked suspiciously.

"I'm asking-" He said and took her hand again, "I'm begging-" He said and rested his forehead against hers as he stroked her cheek. "Go to Australia, live alongside your parents as a muggle until this world is safe again." He said and closed his eyes.

"You want me to leave?" She asked in disbelief for clarity.

"I want you to be safe." He corrected but she just flicked him away from her and took a few steps away as if he was her enemy again.

"I'm safe when I'm with you!" She argued. "How dare you try and send me away!" She shouted. "After everything I've done for you!"

"Please try to understand-"

"I understand your trying to send me away to the other side of the world after only two weeks of marriage." She said mimicking Draco's statement about her the day before, trying to remind him of the pain he felt so he would maybe understand the pain he was inflicting on her now, in a hope that he would just stop. "You can't make me!" She said as the tears started to build up in her eyes despite her best efforts to push them down. Grow up god damn it! She thought.

He looked at the bruises and red marks now forming around her delicate neck, the marks he'd placed there. He was no good for something so pure, he destroyed everything he touched. "No, I can't make you, but if you love me-"

"Don't you dare!" She interrupted and glared at him. "You will never question my feelings for you again, do you understand?" She said as she pointed her finger at him, the crazed look in her eyes was one he'd definitely not seen before. "I'm not going anywhere!" She said firmly as she stared at him.

He slumped his shoulders in defeat. "Okay, I'm sorry." He said simply and opened his arms inviting her to come back to him. She walked over to him and looked at him like she still wasn't certain if she knew him or not, but still wrapped her arms around his body as he pulled her in. He rested his chin on top of her head and closed his eyes. Fuck.

* * *

Hermione stood in front of a familiar door, one she hoped she would never see again but now she didn't have a choice. She needed to prove she wasn't some silly little school girl if Draco was ever going trust her to her stay with him and fight.

She held her wand firmly in her hand as she unbolted the door and stepped inside. "Lumos Maxima" She said quietly and a ball of light filled the room, revealing gleaming, white tiles and a chair standing alone in the centre of the room with a person sitting awkwardly in it. The man was far too large for the size of the chair, Hermione was surprised it didn't break underneath him.

A thick heavy chain around his neck secured him to the spot, but Hermione couldn't help but feel uneasy in the man's presence.

He took a heavy breath through his nose, as if smelling the air in the room. "Ahhh," He said sounding far too satisfied for Hermione's liking. "I love the smell of fear." He growled in a low voice.

"I'm not scared of you Dolohov." She said simply and as confidently as she could manage.

"Neither was your father and look what I did to him." He said and then laughed darkly causing Hermione to quiver inwardly. "I literally tore him apart, piece by piece." He taunted.

"I didn't know my father; you can't hurt me by using that." She lied.

"Well then, it can be something the two of you can share, when I rip you apart too." He hissed and licked his lips. "Of course, I'll have much more fun with you." He teased and the thought made Hermione's skin crawl.

"You can't frighten me." She said and stood her ground.

The man stood up and cast a shadow across half of the room, making Hermione feel smaller than ever. Both Blaise and Devereux were big men themselves, so seeing them deal with Dolohov made it look easy. It was becoming clear to Hermione that it wouldn't be as easy for her. "I bet you'll scream louder than your daddy did. I like it when they scream." He said and then laughed again as Hermione swallowed hard.

"Maybe I like it when they scream too." She said and pointed her wand at him. "Are you going to scream for me?" She asked curiously and took a step closer, trying her hardest to sound intimidating. Reminding herself of the fear Bellarix inflicted on her prey and trying, quite pathetically to imitate it.

He laughed loudly causing Hermione to jump slightly to her dismay. "You get fucked by a Death Eater and you suddenly think you're an evil mastermind?" He said and gestured to the marks on her neck and the bite mark on her lip.

"I got.. er.. fucked.. by the Dark Lord-" She corrected, trying to sound proud and confident but failing. "-who might I remind you, is your master. So you'd better start showing his wife some respect." She continued.

"He's not my master anymore." He said coldly. "I'm going to break free someday, and when I do I'm going to kill your little husband, peel off his face and wear it as a mask while I fuck some sense into you." He growled. "You'd like that wouldn't you?" He taunted as he noticed he'd struck a chord. "I'd show you a real good time, but you could still look at the pretty boys face, because you wouldn't be able to handle a real man." He said and grabbed his crotch as he laughed.

"Reducto!" She shouted and a blast of red light erupted from the tip of her wand. Dolohov moved perfectly and faster than Hermione had ever seen. Hermione's spell hit the chain around his neck and it disintegrated into a thousand pieces.

He looked at her with the most evil eyes she'd ever seen before grinning sinisterly. "That was easier than I thought." He said darkly as he eyed her up.

Hermione desperately tried to remember everything Draco had taught her last time they were here but her mind was frozen by fear. He took a step closer to her and she immediately took one back, causing him to laugh.

"Not so big and brave now are you?" He asked and took another step forward challenging her to stand up to him.

Her stubbornness would get her killed someday, she realised as she stood her ground. "Do you really want Draco to find out about this?" She asked confidently.

He laughed again which infuriated Hermione even more. "Sweetheart, I want him to watch as I make his little princess my personal little whore." He said and lunged towards her but she moved out of the way just in time. "What's the matter?" He asked as they circled around the room. "It looks to me as if you like it rough!" He said with a laugh, his malicious words like daggers.

He lunged forward again this time catching a hold of her around the throat. He slammed her into her wall roughly as she tried to kick him away. "If Malfoy thinks his little bitch can come down here and try to take me on he has another thing coming!" He laughed but then stopped and brought his finger to his head as though he'd had a brilliant idea. "Unless of course he doesn't even know you've come to me?" He asked with a bright smile and then chuckled darkly as he felt her swallow nervously beneath his grip. "We've got plenty of time then." He said as he moved closer. "How hurt do you think he'll be when he finds out you've sacrificed yourself to me so carelessly?" He asked and then sniffed her hair. "Hmm, I love the smell of fear."

* * *

"Harry Potter will strike tomorrow." Blaise said quietly as he sat before Draco in his study.

"How many men does he have?" Draco asked as he uninterestedly flicked through some documents that had been left on his desk.

"I'm told just under four-hundred." Blaise said and Draco nodded his head.

"They don't have the numbers to overthrow us." Draco said lazily as he dipped his quill and began to write.

"He will take down enough of our men to leave us defenceless to the attack from the so called King which will allegedly take place two days after that, with numbers that almost match our own, as they stand at the moment, before Potter attacks. Even if Potter is unsuccessful he will still damage our forces and we won't have enough men to defeat the King." Devereux explained. "We wouldn't have enough time to recover before we would be under attack again."

Draco considered the news. "It was always going to happen eventually, we will fight until the end whatever happens." Draco said calmly. "Do we know any obvious weaknesses to either side?" He asked.

"Well Harry Potter's only weakness seems to be your wife, and I believe you've already used that card to almost drive the man insane." Blaise said and was met by Draco's murderous look.

Devereux cleared his throat in an attempt to defuse some tension. "The King has a family, a wife and children." He offered.

"What sort of name is The King?" Draco scoffed.

"He heard of your reputation as the Dark Prince and used his name to, one up you, so to speak." Devereux explained.

Draco laughed. "All of these ridiculous nicknames never fail to annoy me." He said and then sat back in his chair to go over his thoughts.

Blaise and Devereux watched him carefully waiting for his command.

"Kill the family." He ordered. "Make sure it sends a message." He added with a smirk. "Show them what happens to those who oppose me."

Devereux leaned forward in his chair and looked at Draco with worried eyes. "You know what their retaliation will be." He warned. "You need to think about your wife."

Of course Draco already knew this but he didn't have much of a choice. "Leave Hermione to me, no harm will come to her Dimitri, believe me." He said as confidently as he could, even though he'd never been more worried for her safety than he was at his moment. As he thought about her, a cold feeling of dread set into the pit of his stomach, a feeling he'd felt too many times before. "Somethings wrong." He said as he jumped out of his chair.

"My Lord?" Blaise questioned with concern plastered across his face.

"Hermione, she's in trouble. I can feel it." He said and rushed for the door only to be blocked by Devereux big arm. "Get out of my way." Draco sneered dangerously.

"You'll never find her; I think I know where she is." Devereux said and ran out of the door quickly followed by Draco and Blaise.

* * *

Hermione kicked and struggled but she refused to scream as Dolohov's rough hand clamped tightly around her throat. She needed to think! She let the anger caused by his relentless taunting fill her whole body and everything she was, and with her last bit of energy pointed her wand at him. "Crucio!" She choked and she hit Dolohov with a curse just about strong enough to make him loosen his grip on her throat long enough for her to escape.

She fell to the floor ungracefully trying to catch her breath. She scurried across the room and raised her wand again and pointed it at him.

"I've missed your little bee stings." He mocked and took a step towards her.

She tightened the grip around her wand and once again let the hate for the man fill her. He didn't look the slightest bit concerned as she took another breath to say the words. "Crucio!" She growled and sent a spark of red light towards him. This time she knew it had worked because he was standing on the spot with his eyes closed, twitching as the pain filled his body. She could feel the curse draining her energy as she pushed everything she could into it and he eventually fell to the floor. She had no idea how people managed to cast this spell and hold it for so long, she felt like the curse was sucking every bit of magical energy out of her body and eventually she had no choice but to stop.

Dolohov stood up again and wiped the drool away from his mouth as if nothing had happened. "I knew I'd have you from the day I picked you up in the forest." He said as he stepped closer to her. Hermione was unable to move, the spell had drained her more than she physically thought possible.

He was so close that she could reach out and touch him if she so desired but she doubted she even had the energy to lift her arm at this moment. His movements were slow, and calculated, he was toying with her.

"First successful Crucio?" He asked teasingly. "Your little boyfriend didn't even care to tell you about the after affects?" He said as he moved closer. "Total paralysis in some cases." He whispered.

Hermione thought she'd already used the curse successfully, but now realised that Draco had stopped her before the curse could do any real damage.

"You won't need that anymore. You certainly won't be able to use any magic for a while" He said and reached for her wand, only for it to shock him viciously when he got too close. "Clever little charm you have there, but I'm not going to need a wand to kill your little lover." He said and then smashed the mirror on the wall next to them and picked up a large, sharp piece of mirrored glass.

"He's going to destroy you." Hermione choked out.

"Nice to know you've still got your voice, there's been a lot of talk about screaming but neither of us has followed though yet. I'm hoping to get my desired result when I drive this through your husband's cold black heart." He threatened and held the mirrored glass up to Hermione's face and dug it into her cheek instantly drawing blood.

She could feel Draco's rage running through her veins. He was coming for her, and he was close now. Dolohov studied her face and smirked. "I don't think I'm going to have to wait very long." He sneered and moved away from her to stand behind the door, glass at the ready.

Her heart was beating so fast she thought it would burst out of her chest if it got any faster. Draco's energy was getting stronger and stronger and she knew he'd be here any minute. She needed to move, she needed to save him. The thought of losing him only paralysed her more as the premature grief struck at her heart.

"He's not going to save you this time, princess." He taunted from across the room as she helplessly watched in horror as he licked her blood from the tip of his makeshift blade.

"Hermione!" She heard Draco shout for her in the distance and Dolohov's ears pricked up as he got himself ready to attack.

She needed to move! "DRACO DON'T COME IN!" She shouted desperately. "STAY AWAY!" She tried again but her voice just cracked under the pressure. She could hear footsteps running down the corridor. "STOP! DON'T COME IN!" She shouted but it was no use. The door swung open and she saw the mad glint in Dolohov's eyes as he drove his blade into the stomach of the intruder.

"NOOO! BLAISE!" Hermione shrieked as an energy she wasn't familiar with filled her from her head to her toes. "Crucio!" She growled viciously and shot the curse directly into Dolohov's chest sending him crashing backwards into the wall. The spell wasn't draining her as much as the first time. The energy running though her was like nothing she'd ever felt before, a hate she didn't know she was capable of feeling.

Devereux fell to his knees and began trying to heal Blaise' wound as he clutched his stomach on the floor. Draco looked around in horror, first to his best friend who was slowly bleeding to death on the floor and then to his wife who was torturing his attacker.

She didn't even seem to notice him; there was something in her eyes that didn't belong to her, something Draco only saw in his own reflection, something dark.

He reached out to grab her wand, to break her focus, to remove the evil he could see in her. Just as he was about to touch it Devereux shouted. "Stop! It's too risky!"

Draco knew he was right, so pulled his hand away and watched her sadly. "This isn't you." He whispered but she didn't acknowledge him in the slightest.

She took a step closer to Dolohov and towered over him as he twitched uncontrollably in pain. "You've caused too much pain for too many people." She hissed and the curse intensified causing him to writhe around on the floor. She knew the energy she was using to cast the curse must have been coming directly from Draco, she didn't have the ability to curse someone this badly with her own hate and anger but she didn't care. "I want you to scream for me before I let you die." She said quietly and Draco took a cautious step away from her.

"Hermione, that's enough!" He said firmly but it was as if she didn't hear him at all.

She gripped her wand tighter and focused harder as she intensified the curse once again. He was as stubborn as she was; he refused to scream and chose to instead bite straight through his tongue causing blood to drip from his mouth as he convulsed. "Scream for me and it will all be over." She advised calmly.

Eventually she got her way as the man began to scream as if he was on fire. "Kill me! I beg you!" He screamed in a shrill tone.

Hermione smirked, clearly completely unaware of the horrified faces around her. She stopped the curse and laughed as the man whimpered at her feet. "Of course, it would be my pleasure." She said so kindly it didn't match the crazed look on her face in the slightest. Then raised her wand again, "Avada Kedavra!" She said calmly and the room was filled instantly with a bright green light which burned everyone's eyes.

She stood over Dolohov's body for a few seconds looking at it in disgust before turning to face Draco. Then she started to shake, and looked at her hands as if they were dripping with blood and started to sway on the spot as she looked back at Draco with a confused look on her face. She had turned a sickly shade of white and the evil had vanished completely from her eyes. "Help me." She said quietly as she looked at Draco with sad pleading eyes.

Draco rushed over and caught her just as she blacked out. He fell to the floor with her in his arms and cushioned her fall.

"My Lord, how did she…" Devereux asked.

Draco didn't respond, he just looked at Hermione's face and then down to the Horcrux hanging around her neck. What had he done?

* * *

Hermione tried to focus her vision but it was no use so she just closed her eyes again. Her whole body ached in a way she'd never felt before but there was something else, a feeling in the pit of her stomach that made her feel sick, a pain that she couldn't ignore. She'd murdered someone; she'd actually taken someone's life, a life that wasn't hers to take.

"Take it easy princess, you'll be weak." Devereux said from across the room.

She tried to scold him for calling her princess again but only coughed violently as the words scraped through her throat.

Devereux laughed, "I said take it easy!" He said as he stood up and walked over to her bed and sat on the edge, causing the blankets over her pull tight against her sore body. She winced in pain and Devereux stroked her hair softly as she opened her eyes again.

Her vision was blurry but she could see better this time. She could see Dimitri's kind eyes looking down at her. "W-what h-" She started to choke again.

"Shhhh," Devereux said as he continued to comfort her. "You blacked out, after you- do you remember?" He asked. Hermione nodded her head and Devereux could tell by the broken look in her eyes that she remembered every single part of it. He gave her a sympathetic smile. "You did wonderfully."

"I'm a murderer." She scraped out with difficulty.

He smiled again and nodded his head. "A good one." He said.

Hermione couldn't hold back her smile, as much as it disgusted her she couldn't deny how good it felt at the time. She remembered Draco's 'lesson' about the Dark Arts that morning and cringed inwardly, he was right. "Blaise?" She asked only being able to say small amounts.

"Alive." Devereux said and she smiled as relief washed over her. Hermione didn't even realise how much Blaise meant to her until today. Maybe it was because of how much she knew Draco cared about him.

"Draco?" She asked and was worried when Devereux broke eye contact with her. "Draco?" She said again, this time a little louder and a lot more desperate.

"I don't know." He admitted. "We brought you here and then he left. I haven't seen him since."

"I saw the way he looked at me." She said in a low, gravelly voice. Devereux looked at her and raised his eyebrow in question. "Before I blacked out. He was disappointed."

"He looked concerned to me." Devereux assured her but she just shook her head.

"I only wanted to help, you need to make sure he knows that!" She said desperately and then started to choke worse than before, clearly overworking her voice.

"You can tell him yourself when your voice is better. He's just summoned me, I must go. The house elf is on hand to get you away from here if anything happens." He said and gestured to Trixie sitting by the fire mending old blankets. He placed a small kiss on Hermione's forehead and stood up to leave. "Don't go off killing anyone while I'm away." He laughed and then left the room.

* * *

Draco sat at his desk with a glass of fire-whiskey in one hand and his wand in the other. He wondered how much Dark Magic had been performed using this wand, how many people had died. He was trying to make himself feel ashamed but only ended up smirking smugly as he remembered. He was pulled from his thoughts as Devereux came thumping through the door as ungracefully as ever. Draco was surprised with how loud he was on a daily basis considering he didn't make a single sound on their missions together, he moved like a ghost when he needed to.

"Devereux, please take a seat." He said quietly and gestured to the chair in front of him. "With Blaise being unfit to fight I'm hoping you'll step into his place as Deputy?"

Devereux looked shocked but couldn't help but swell with pride. "Of course, My Lord. It would be an honour." He said.

"As my deputy, what is your first piece of advice?" He asked and took a large swig of alcohol from his glass, wasting no time.

Devereux considered the question for a while and then sat forward in his chair. "I would send Hermione to Hogwarts, to stay with your mother." Devereux could tell Draco wasn't happy with his advice but he continued anyway. "Then I would kill the King's wife but take his children as hostages."

"My wife will only ever be safe with one person, do you understand?" He asked but then cut Devereux off as he opened his mouth to answer. "And how am I supposed to get to this man's family? I don't know a thing about them and I'm sure he'll have the best defences protecting them."

"I know a man; he's one of the few people chosen by the King to protect them. He owes me more than a favour and knows better than to say no." Devereux explained and Draco nodded along as he considered it. "But he will come for Hermione in retaliation; you know it as well as I do." He added.

"I get the impression that she's more capable of taking care of herself than I give her credit for." Draco said and couldn't help but laugh.

"I'm as shocked as you are believe me." Devereux laughed along but then turned serious again. "She thinks you're disappointed in her, you know?" He said but Draco just looked into his glass and away from his questioning gaze. "Are you?"

Draco shook his head but kept his gaze fixed on his glass. "I could never be disappointed in her."

Devereux sat back and studied Draco carefully. "When Potter comes, are you worried who's side she'll really be on?" He asked. "I know Blaise is worried."

Draco shook his head and looked at Devereux again. "I'm not worried, she could have escaped with him but she chose me." He said and then took another large gulp of whiskey.

"But she was the person who set him free, and now he's going to march right to your doorstep with a small army with the intent to destroy you and your empire." Devereux explained. "She might have chosen to stay with you, but in her efforts to protect her friends she has unintentionally given us a war we can't afford to even fight, let alone lose."

"I know." Was all Draco said in response and then looked back at his glass.

"What is your plan, My Lord?" Devereux asked.

"There will not be a fight tomorrow. Not on my watch. We need to save all of our men and resources to fight this usurper when he comes knocking." Draco said and Devereux frowned in confusion.

"How are we supposed to stop this fight exactly?" Devereux asked and leant forward again.

"With a little help from my wife." Draco said and then downed the last of his drink before standing up. "Get some rest Dimitri. Tomorrow is going to be a long day." He said and then left the room.

* * *

Draco stepped quietly into their bedroom but Trixie's ears perked up instantly and she flicked round to see who was intruding, knocking her box of sewing equipment onto the floor with a loud clatter.

The noise caused Hermione to jump out of bed with her wand at the ready, only to relax as she saw Draco standing across the room. She clutched her side in pain as the panic that pushed her out of the bed wore off leaving her feeling weak again.

Trixie disappeared with a pop as Draco rushed over to Hermione and lowered her down onto the bed gently. "You need to rest." He scolded as she adjusted into a comfortable position with her back leaning against the headboard. Draco sat on the edge of the bed next to her and put his hand gently on her leg. "How do you feel?" He asked.

"Sore." She said, her voice still broken and cracked but not as painful as when she spoke with Devereux.

"How do you feel?" He asked again, clearly not satisfied with her answer.

Hermione knew what he was referring to and looked away from his eyes. "I haven't decided yet." She said quietly. "I'm sorry."

"I'm the last person you need to apologise to." He said and stroked her leg. "I can't deny how well you've done, I'm actually really proud of you." He said and smiled as she looked back into his eyes.

"Really?" She asked in shock.

"I want you to scream for me before I let you die." He said mimicking her words to Dolohov. "You have a habit of doing everything perfectly the first time; I don't know why I expected anything less than brilliance." He said with a chuckle. "You did scare me half to death though, so don't you dare do anything stupid like that again." He said turning serious. "And then there's Blaise..." He said and Hermione looked down into her lap in shame.

"I'm sorry." She said quietly as she fiddled with her fingers. "I bet he really hates me now."

"Actually, I think Blaise is more proud of you than any of us." He joked. "I have something important to ask you Hermione." He said and hooked his finger under her chin to force her to look into his eyes. "Do you love me?" He asked.

She nodded her head. "You know I do." She said, despite the fact she'd never actually said the words she assumed he would know after everything she'd done for him.

Draco nodded his head as he considered her words. "How do you feel about Potter?"

"What?" She asked and narrowed her eyes at him.

"Just tell me." He ordered and she shot him a pointed look before rolling her eyes.

"I feel nothing." She said impatiently.

"If I were to ask you to drive a knife through his heart, what would you say?" He asked seriously.

She frowned at him in question for a moment, trying to figure him out. "I'd ask which knife you would recommend I use." She said finally and he stared into her eyes as if trying to spot any signs of lying. "I would do anything for you." She assured him.

"We'll soon see." He said and sat up straight.

"Are you asking?" She asked and leant forward, trying not to seem too interested but secretly, nervously hanging on Draco's every word.

"No." He said simply and Hermione felt herself relax slightly. "Do you trust me to keep you safe?" He asked.

"Only you." She said immediately, without doubt. It was the only thing she was truly certain of.

"Good." He said sweetly, although Hermione could tell there was something calculated about what he was saying from the way he was acting. He was very difficult to read but definitely had something on his mind, something that was bothering him, something he wanted to fix.

"What's this all about Draco?" She asked and put her hand gently on his arm.

"Potter is coming here tomorrow." He said and she tried her best to hide any kind of reaction. She didn't even know how she felt about the information and definitely didn't want Draco jumping to any conclusions, he was clearly already bothered by it. "He's been gathering men since you set him free and now he plans to attack us." Draco explained, his voice giving away nothing about his emotions on the matter.

Hermione looked back into her lap as she began to feel incredibly guilty. She decided it would be best to say nothing at this point.

"Don't dwell over it, what's done is done." He said firmly and she looked back into his eyes. "You can make up for it tomorrow, you will not betray me again, do you understand?" He asked.

Hermione nodded her head. "What do you need me to do?" She asked cautiously. Luckily for her, her voice was so rough Draco wouldn't notice how shaky it was as her nerves started to build.

"He plans to fight but we can't afford to." Draco explained. "We have a bigger attack coming two days after that which we will lose if Potter strikes."

Hermione looked at him in horror. "Draco, what are we going to do?"

"There will not be a fight tomorrow. This leaves us with enough men and resources to defeat the next hoard of attackers. The only way this is going to happen is if you help me." He said and she nodded her head in understanding.

"How do we stop him?" She asked.

"I can't tell you yet; your reaction will need to be as authentic as possible." He explained very clearly to make sure she understood. "You need to promise me that whatever I ask you to do, you'll do it without question."

She looked at him for a moment as she considered it. The unknown definitely made her feel much more uneasy but she really would do anything for Draco, the same way he'd do absolutely anything for her. "I promise." She said finally.

He looked at her sadly and kissed her gently. She always tasted so sweet and always felt so warm, he thought as he soaked her in. He never wanted it to end but he could tell Hermione was in a lot of pain so decided to let her rest and pulled away begrudgingly.

Draco didn't sleep that night; he couldn't take his eyes off her as she lay peacefully next to him, taking little breaths that would crack occasionally from her sore throat. Every so often she would move and then wince in pain, Draco would comfort her by helping her to get comfortable again. Then very occasionally her face would tense up and he could see her eyes moving frantically underneath her eyelids. He knew she was having a nightmare so he'd reach out and touch her gently and she would wake up with a jump, but he would be there, stroking her hair and whispering sweet nothings until she settled again. "To love and protect, till death us do part." He whispered as the sun began to rise.


	24. Chapter 24

**Betaed by ShepardMasterMind.**

* * *

Hermione sat awkwardly inside the large entry hall of the Manor, the air was cold and the tension was thick. All of Draco's men stood in a circle around the Manor with a large group outside the main entrance, even though Draco had assured her that there wouldn't be any fighting.

The orders were to intercept Potter and pass him a message, one Draco had ordered Hermione to write earlier that morning asking him to come to the main gate or the outcome would be fatal for everyone, assuring him that it wasn't a trap, and if he did as instructed he and his people would not be attacked.

Draco had been weirdly distant in a way she couldn't work out. He hadn't really left her side the entire morning but only spoke to her when he had to. He would look at her occasionally and wrap his arms around her but then pull away and continue to be distant.

She nibbled at the sleeve of her black hoodie; Draco asked her to wear her own clothes, for practicality and so the people on the other side would see her as the person she used to be and lower their defences slightly.

He had an elaborate plan cooked up Hermione could tell, but she had no idea what and he wasn't giving anything away.

"He's here!" Devereux said from the window. "What are your orders?" He asked and turned to Draco.

"As discussed, Devereux." Draco ordered and Devereux nodded his head.

Hermione felt her stomach sink; she couldn't believe this was happening. Draco turned to her and held out his hand, she took it and he pulled her to her feet. Her legs felt like they would collapse beneath her weight as her nerves turned them to jelly. She struggled to the door using Draco's arm to steady herself.

Draco could feel her shaking and stopped just before they opened the door. "Be brave." He said gently. "You can do this."

She took a deep breath and nodded her head. "I'm ready." She said and Draco reached out and opened the door. They stepped outside and the wind took Hermione's breath away as it swept around them. She looked out across the grounds to see Harry and the rest of her friends walking down the long drive towards the Manor followed by hundreds of people she didn't recognise. She could be leading them all to slaughter for all she knew. The thousands of men around the Manor moved in unison to surround Harry and his people, giving them no way out.

Hermione stood just slightly behind Draco who was in the centre at the top of the stairs leading up to the front doors, clear for everyone to see.

As Harry got closer Hermione could see the hatred in his eyes and looked away immediately and decided to look at Draco's arm instead.

"Welcome!" Draco said charismatically. "No blood needs to be spilled today." He said loudly.

Harry laughed bitterly and shook his head. "Do you really expect me to believe that?" He asked, just as loudly as the last of his people came to a standstill, eyeing up the Death Eaters around them nervously.

"I would like to invite you to have a word in private, discuss terms before we decide whether or not to kill each-other." Draco offered.

"So you can kill me while my guard is down?" Harry spat. "I don't think so."

"So we can come to an arrangement." Draco assured. "You're highly outnumbered Potter, if I wanted to kill you I could have done it already." He said impatiently.

"I don't trust you." Harry said with as much venom as he could muster.

"Then trust me." Hermione said loudly and stepped forward to stand beside Draco.

Harry shot her a look of complete disbelief and then screwed his face up. "You expect me-"

"Ok!" Ron shouted and stepped forward and cutting Harry off mid-insult. "We will talk, but don't expect us to accept any of your so called terms, ok Malfoy?"

"Choose three of your men, and I will choose only one of mine to accompany my wife and I." Draco said and Hermione saw Harry fill with rage as he absorbed the news of their marriage.

Harry turned around and made eye contact with Luna, Neville, and then with Ron before he began to walk towards the Manor with his chosen three walking quickly behind him.

Draco looked at Devereux who gave him a slight nod and then opened the door. Draco took Hermione's hand and led her back inside into the completely empty entrance hall. They stood at the end of the room facing the door, ready for Harry and his friends to walk through.

Ron was first through the door, suddenly leading the group, followed by Harry, then Luna who was holding onto Neville's hand tightly as she pulled him along behind her. Once they were all inside Devereux stepped through the door and closed it behind him.

"I'm glad you've chosen to do this the smart way." Draco said and took a step closer to them.

"Just get this over with, Malfoy." Ron said and looked at him with disgust.

"I know you plan to fight me today and put an end to all things you consider evil but I'm afraid you'll just be making things harder for yourself." Draco explained.

"And how do you work that one out?" Ron asked, Harry being clearly too irritated to even talk at the moment as he stood beside Ron staring daggers at Hermione as he tried to control his breathing.

"There is another group of Dark wizards on the scene in case you don't already know. You have half the numbers of us both." Draco continued.

"We had less people when we took on Voldemort and we still defeated him!" Harry snapped.

"Ah yes, and as I understand it, his forces have continued to rule the wizarding world-" Draco said smugly. "-and will continue to do so even after today, whether you kill me or not."

"What's your point?" Ron asked suspiciously.

"The King, who is the leader of a very large dark wizarding army, with numbers that could easily compare to my own, has been plotting to overthrow me for some time now. I believe it would be in your best interests to leave today, let us bad guys fight each-other, and then to take on the one who is left standing, who will be incredibly wounded, whichever one of us wins." Draco suggested.

"I don't see what's in it for us." Harry spat, clearly disinterested.

"You are left to fight one wounded army instead of two which are twice your size of yours and fighting fit, Potter." Draco said impatiently. "You should be grateful I'm giving you this opportunity." He added.

Harry was just about to spit out a nasty insult but was blocked again by Ron. "What's in this for _you_?" Ron asked.

"You don't wound my numbers before the big fight." Draco said honestly. "I'm just trying to make life easier for everyone."

Harry laughed and shook his head. "You're full of it!"

"This is the best option for everyone, Harry." Hermione said from behind Draco. "You have to believe us."

" _Us_?" Harry spat viciously and then laughed, he actually sounded a bit crazy. "You have no right to speak! All you did was jump ship and watch as your friends sank."

"We're all sinking, Harry don't you see that yet?" She shouted. "We're never going to beat them! No one wins."

Harry narrowed his eyes at her and scoffed nastily. "So what do you suggest we all do? Open our legs and just hope a Death Eater powerful enough lands between them?"

Draco's fists clenched as Hermione took a step back, clearly injured by Harry's spiteful words but Devereux spoke before Draco had a chance.

"Careful, boy." He warned as he moved to stand protectively beside Hermione.

Harry turned his attention back to Draco. "Why should I trust you?" He asked but Draco didn't respond, he just turned to Hermione and gave her a delicate kiss on the forehead and then nodded to Devereux.

Devereux took Hermione by the arm and led her away from Draco and towards her friends. "What are you doing?" She asked nervously and then looked to Draco in question but he just stared straight ahead, not looking at her.

"I know why you're really here Potter." Draco said calmly. "You can have her, if you leave today without putting up a fuss." He offered.

Before Harry could respond Hermione began to thrash around in Devereux grip. "Get off me!" She shouted. "You can't do this!"

"Settle down." Devereux demanded as he tried to move her across the room.

"Draco, you can't do this!" She pleaded but he just acted like he didn't hear her. "I'm not something you can just trade!"

Harry scoffed. "Don't tell me you're actually surprised! Did you think he actually cared about you? Did you think he was even capable of love? You were just another victory for him!"

Hermione ignored him as she continued to struggle. "I thought you loved me!" She shouted as Devereux handed her over to Ron who clearly didn't know what to do with the distressed woman. He grabbed her half-heartedly around her wrist but as soon as Devereux loosened his solid grip she was gone, leaving Ron looking slightly bewildered.

She ran over to Draco and grabbed onto his shirt but he just looked right through her. "Draco, please don't do this." She pleaded but he didn't respond. Devereux was now trying to pull her away again but she held onto Draco as if her life depended on it.

Draco finally looked at her but he was cold, cold in a way that literally sent shivers down Hermione's spine as her eyes locked onto his. "Potter's right." He said quietly. "I seduced you to prove a point to all of my enemies. I married the only girl the 'chosen one' has ever really loved and I did it _so well_. Not to mention how many half-bloods I brought over to fight for me because we set a perfect example of unity." He said nastily and Hermione's grip on his shirt loosened slightly.

"You're lying." She whispered as tears built up in her eyes. "I gave up everything for you."

He brought his hand up and gently stroked the bite marks on her neck with the back of his finger. "And I had _a lot_ of fun taking it." He said darkly causing her to let go of him completely and look at him in shock with teary eyes.

"This isn't you." She said breathlessly, she'd forgotten anyone else was even in the room now.

"You don't know a thing about me, Granger." He spat. "You believed what I wanted you to believe. We've had a very, _very_ good time but now you're making a very good bargaining tool, so I want you to leave."

"I'm your wife." She whispered desperately.

"A muggle wedding doesn't classify as a real wedding in the wizarding world, or to me." He said.

"We made the unbreakable vow!" She said, a little louder than she'd intended to as she heard Harry let out another laugh of disbelief in the background but she didn't care.

"It was fake." He said. "You believed what I wanted you to believe." He repeated and then reached around her neck and unclipped the necklace which had hung proudly around her neck since the night they first kissed and placed it into this trouser pocket.

Hermione reached up to touch the empty space to find only her father's necklace hanging alone as cold as ice. She tried to speak, to say anything but she couldn't.

Draco felt like his heart was ripping into two as he looked away from his broken wife and into the eyes of the other man who loved her. "Potter, you and Weasel will escort Granger out of the backdoor while the other two go back to your army out of the front door with instructions to leave. They will be given two former-hostages who they will say I released to you for temporary peace. Do you understand?"

Harry looked at Ron who gave him a nod; he then looked back to Draco. "Where's the backdoor?"

"I'll take you to it, and then I strongly suggest you make yourself scarce." Draco said.

Harry nodded back to Ron and then to Neville and Luna who immediately made a move towards the front door. Devereux took Hermione and began to lead her away, followed by Draco and then Harry and Ron.

"Why the backdoor?" Harry asked as they walked through the Manor.

"Nobody can see you've taken her, none of my men can find out about this." Draco explained. "This man here is the only one I trust." He said and pointed to Devereux walking in front slightly with a surprisingly quiet Hermione walking beside him.

They reached the door and Devereux pushed it open, allowing the wind to once again sweep through Hermione. She felt it was colder this time around.

She was thinking about everything Draco had said to her, playing it all out again in her mind to try and work it out. When the penny finally dropped she felt stupid for not seeing it sooner. She spun around just as Draco, Harry and Ron had emerged out of the door behind her. "This is your stupid attempt to protect me isn't it?" She shouted and noticed Draco tense up properly for the first time that day.

She'd figured it out.

"No! You can't do this! I'm safe when I'm with you! You're the only one I trust." She pleaded and Draco sighed loudly.

"And _he's_ the only one _I_ trust to keep you safe." Draco said and gestured to a very confused but angry looking Harry.

"You have got to be kidding me! He hates me!" Hermione said desperately.

"He loves you, you idiot." Draco clipped. "Almost as much as I do." He finished and looked at her sadly as tears fell from her eyes. "He's the only person you'll be safe with. He's the only one who loves you enough to risk everything for your safety."

"Don't you?" She asked sadly.

"If you stay with me you'll be killed, they're after you Hermione." He explained but she just shook her head.

"You're the best wizard I've ever known, the Dark Lord for Merlin's sake! I'm safe with you!"

"What if they kill me?" He asked and Hermione lost her breath at the thought.

"Then I'll die with you." She said desperately, her eyes now screaming, begging for him to stop.

He walked over to her and put his hands on her shoulders, his eyes just as desperate at hers. "What if they torture you, rape you and then kill you while I watch before they kill me?" He asked, clearly struggling as saying the words made the image more real in his mind. "I don't think I could-" He stopped and swallowed hard against the lump in his throat and took a deep breath. "I need to know you'll be safe and this is the only way. Last night, you promised me remember? You said you trusted me to protect you."

"I didn't know this is what you meant, I would never have promised! Please, please don't send me away, I can't live without you." She pleaded again but he just turned away from her and looked at Harry.

"Take her away from here, keep her safe and keep her hidden. She is not to go by my name under any circumstances; Prewett would be the best option I think." He instructed but Hermione was shaking her head.

"Please don't do this. I won't go! You can't make me!" She shouted but he just ignored her.

"Do not involve her in any kind of war, against me or against the King if I should die. She will now be his number one target." He continued.

"Draco, no!" She shouted, but he just looked to Devereux who took her by the arm again and started to lead her away again. "GET OFF ME!" She screamed and stung Devereux with the tip of her wand making him release her.

Her wand suddenly flicked out of her hand and she looked up to see Draco standing with his wand in one hand pointing at her and her wand now in the other. He gave Hermione's wand to Harry and continued to point his own at his distraught wife.

"You wouldn't hurt me." She said and ran towards him. She tried to hold on to him but he just pushed her away and looked through her again. "I love you, Draco." She said desperately as she tried to clutch onto his shirt again but he just grabbed her wrists and held them away.

"That's enough, Hermione." He said firmly.

Hermione looked completely heart-broken as she stood speechless in front of him, with hot tears running down her cold cheeks. She shook her head as she looked into his eyes. "I love you." She said again and then let her legs give up beneath her. She fell to the ground and clutched at his legs. "I love you." She said again as she sobbed.

Draco stood completely still and looked dead ahead as he fought the tears building up in his own eyes. Out of everything he'd endured in his life this was definitely the most pain he'd ever been in. He took a deep breath and looked at Devereux who was watching helplessly. "Last resort?" He asked and Devereux nodded his head and walked over to Hermione pulling her up to her feet again and holding her in place in front of Draco.

Draco pointed his wand to her head and Hermione's eyes widened in fear.

"What are you doing?" She asked desperately as she struggled.

"I'm doing the right thing, for once in my life." Draco croaked as tears filled his eyes.

"Please Draco, I'm begging you!" She shouted as she thrashed around.

"Devereux you need to keep her still." Draco pleaded as he tried to focus his aim.

Ron stepped over and stood on the other side of Hermione and looked at Draco curiously for a few moments and after seeing the broken man he was decided to help by taking Hermione's other arm to keep her still.

Draco looked at Harry who was watching speechlessly, frozen to the spot. "She won't remember our relationship, it's important that you make sure everyone who has contact with her knows this and make sure you keep that circle of people as small as you can to ensure nobody finds her." He said and then Harry nodded his head slightly, not making eye-contact with him.

"Draco no! Please, not my memories! I can't forget you!" She pleaded but he just returned his attention back to the wand. "Dimitri, don't let him do this! Please, you're my friend!" She begged as she looked up to Devereaux, who just looked at her with sad eyes and didn't respond. "Ron?" She said and turned to him but he didn't even look at her. She looked back to Draco who looked as broken as she felt. "I love you." She said and he winced as if a knife had gone through his heart. "I love you." She said again as she sobbed.

"Obliviate" Draco said quietly. The tip of his wand glowed a pale shade of blue which reflected in Hermione's eyes.

"I love you." She said again, her voice weaker than it had been before. "I l-love y-you."

Draco couldn't stop a tear falling from each of his eyes as he took the memories of himself out of his wife's mind and placed them into his broken heart.

It was the only way she would ever leave, the only way she'd ever be safe.

"I love- I love you." She said again just before the tears stopped falling from her eyes.

"I love you, too." He whispered as he watched the sad look in her eyes turn from despair, to confusion, and then finally back to the frightened, hate-filled look she wore the night she was first captured in the forest.

She looked at Draco and then to Devereux and began to struggle once again. Only this time it wasn't go get close to Draco, it was to get away from him.

Devereux loosened his grip and she fell into Ron's arms in a panic as she tried to scurry away.

"Now take her and get out! Before I change my mind." Draco sneered and with a nod Ron grabbed hold of Hermione and started to run away through the garden, away from the Manor, away from him.

There was nothing left.

He grabbed Harry by the arm as he started to run after them and shoved a piece of parchment into his hand. "This is her parents address. They were at our wedding so she can't see them yet. Should I die you are to take her to them, tell them what happened and tell them never to speak of me. She will never have to deal with the pain of losing me."

Harry smirked. "I'm afraid she's no longer your responsibility." He said nastily. "She won't grieve for you either way, and nor will anyone else." He spat and then ran after his friends.

Draco stood a broken man as he watched his two enemies run away into the distance with the love of his life, a woman who now knew nothing but hatred for him. He couldn't help but silently cry as he saw her stumble and fall to the ground as she ran. Ron quickly dragged her back to her feet and Draco saw her take a frightened, confused glance back in his direction before she disappeared over the hill. A loud crack echoed across the grounds as soon as Harry passed the wards around the Manor. Draco dropped to his knees as he heard the sound. She was gone.

Devereux put his big hand on Draco's shoulder as he silently cried on the floor with his head in his hand. "I know it hurts, My Lord." He said carefully. "But you need to get up now." He advised.

Draco took a deep breath and tried to compose himself but was finding it difficult to pull himself together despite the utter embarrassment of the whole situation.

Just then Draco felt another hand on his other shoulder. He looked up to see Blaise looking down at him clutching his stomach. "Come on, mate." He said and then reached out a hand and pulled Draco back to his feet. "If you really want her to be safe, you'll pull yourself back together and kill this mother fucker!" Blaise said and as Draco nodded he patted him firmly on the back.

"One of us will be dead by the end of the week, and it isn't going to be me." Draco said seriously, as if he'd flicked a switch and was his normal cold self again. Blaise was relieved to see mad crazed eyes again and not broken ones as he nodded his head confidently.

"He's going to see what it's like to fight a man who has nothing to lose." Draco said and then returned to the Manor swiftly, not looking back.


	25. Chapter 25

**Betaed by ShepardMasterMind**

* * *

Hermione ran as fast as her shaky legs could carry her as she held on tightly to Ron's hand. The pain became quite unbearable and her legs just couldn't stand the pressure, she fell to the ground hard with an ungraceful thud and let out a pained scream.

"Ron, I can't!" She pleaded as pain shook through her whole body, her head spinning, her lungs screaming for air as she struggled to breathe.

"You have to!" He said and pulled her quickly to her feet again and continued to run ignoring her groans of pain and discomfort. He knew he needed to get her away from this place, far away. She was the only family he had left. She would be alright, if he could just get her away.

Each step felt like her legs were breaking but she carried on, she couldn't stop now, they were so close. She turned her spinning head as she ran to see Malfoy and his Death Eater just watching as she and Ron escaped. They looked sad, she thought as she ran over the hill and out of sight. But that didn't matter now, she was free.

Ron spun her around and held her wrist tightly as she desperately gasped for air, her lungs burning from overworking them. "Harry! Where's Harry?" She asked fanatically as she looked for him, the rough winds blowing her hair into her stinging, cold face. Just then he appeared over the hill, he was running towards them, his eyes blazing and as green as the blades of grass dancing in the wind below him. "Harry come on!" She shouted desperately and reached her hand out for him to take. As soon as he was in touching distance he grabbed her hand and the three of them apparated with a loud crack, which echoed around the grounds of Malfoy Manor like thunder.

When Hermione opened her eyes again, she was stood in a room she never thought she'd see again, the cosy living-room of Shell Cottage. She sighed deeply as pure, undiluted relief swept through her entire body from her head to her toes.

The day she was captured, she thought she was as good as dead. She never really thought she'd be with her friends again, safe.

She was safe. She was free.

The feeling made her want to cry with happiness.

Ron let out a loud laugh of relief and pulled Harry and Hermione into tight hug. "We did it! I can't believe we did it." He said in amazement.

"What exactly did we do?" Harry asked as he pulled away from the hug.

"The three of us are back together again Harry, how it's supposed to be." Ron explained and shot him a look of warning, shocked at his coldness, but only slightly. Harry hadn't been the same since he was held a prisoner of war, he'd become twisted with resentment. A sight Ron never thought he would see, and one he certainly didn't want Hermione to witness.

"Great! Now the world is a much better place." Harry said sarcastically and Hermione looked at him in confusion and Ron narrowed his eyes.

When did Harry get so cold? Bitter even? She could hear the venom in his voice and it worried her. He didn't even look the same as before, his face was worn out and tired, and he seemed to always wear an angry frown. His eyes were the only thing she recognised now, bright green and full of determination, even if the rest of his demeanour didn't reflect it.

"You agreed to these terms, Harry." Ron reminded him firmly but quietly as the three of them stood in the centre of the bright lounge, the early Spring sun streaming through the windows around them.

"What are you talking about?" Hermione interrupted before Harry could respond. "What terms?"

Ron took a deep breath and ran his fingers through his flaming red hair. "We traded peace for your freedom." He said softly.

"You shouldn't have." She said immediately. "I don't-" She said and then looked to be searching for something in her mind. "I don't remember very much." She said and frowned.

Harry and Ron exchanged a concerned look and then Harry stepped forward and looked at her plainly. "You'll have blank spots; we suspect it's a result of over using Occulemency. I hear they were desperate to get information out of you, but you wouldn't talk." He said without any emotion as he studied her reaction. "Don't you remember?" He asked and she shook her head as she searched through her mind for the memory but there was nothing. Her head started to spin and her legs felt weak and began to shake, they were just about to give up beneath her but Ron caught her ungracefully before she could fall and moved her to the sofa.

"You need to get some rest, you're safe now." Ron said as he covered her with an old, itchy blanket. He then turned to Harry and pulled him into the next room, leaving Hermione lying on the sofa trying to gather her disconnected thoughts. "You need to drop this!" He said through gritted teeth as he closed the door behind them.

"How can I just drop it?" Harry said loudly and Ron hushed him and gestured to the door which had a very confused Hermione on the other side of it. "We went there to kill him and instead we end up putting his wife under our protection?" He whispered angrily, almost choking on the word 'wife'.

"No, we have just rescued our Hermione!" Ron corrected. "The person she was before he got inside her head!" He said and shook Harry by the shoulders slightly. "Don't bring it up again! She can never know." Ron said very clearly but quietly and Harry nodded his head in understanding with a huff. "You need to see to the troops, I'll stay with her." Ron said and then returned to the lounge alone to see Hermione looking at her reflection in an old mirror hanging on the wall.

She looked at the cut on her cheek and the bruise along her jaw and tried to remember how they got there but couldn't no matter how hard she tried..

She ran her fingers through her long curls, her hair had grown so much in length since she'd been taken, how long had she actually been there? It must have been a long time but she could hardly remember any of it.

She moved her attention to the small bruises and bite-marks on her neck and ran her fingers over them curiously before ripping her eyes away from her reflection as they filled with tears. She turned to face Ron, "I know what they did to me." She said sadly as she fought against the lump in her incredibly sore throat. "I don't want to remember." She said as she pointed to the marks with disgust.

Ron swallowed hard and looked away from her sad eyes and at the floor. "It's probably best that you don't." He said quietly and her heart sank.

"Was it him?" She asked, her eyes glassy and her voice wobbly. "Was it Malfoy?" She clarified and her voice cracked as she said his name, disgusted.

Ron stared at her for a little too long, thinking of something reasonable to say but failing. Hermione nodded as the tears escaped from her eyes, she knew the answer was yes. Malfoy had taken something she would never be able to get back, he would always own that part of her, and she despised him for it.

"I'm disgusting." She blurted out breathlessly as she thought about it.

"No, no you're not!" Ron said and rushed over and put his arms around her.

"That's why Harry hates me isn't it?" She cried into his chest. "I can see it when he looks at me. He's disgusted too."

"He's upset, Hermione." Ron assured her as she hiccupped and sniffed. "He doesn't hate you I promise. None of this is your fault." He said as he cradled her.

He sat her back down on the sofa and wrapped the blanket around her shoulders as she sat staring into space. They sat there in silence for about half an hour before Harry came bursting back into the room.

"Ron, you need to see this!" He said excitedly as he gestured to the door, he actually looked mildly happy for the first time since Hermione had seen him again.

Harry held open the front door of the cottage, filling the room with crisp sea air. Arthur and Molly stepped though and Ron shot up like a bolt of lightning and ran across the room and into the arms of his parents.

"I thought you were dead!" He said as he held onto them tightly. They held each-other for a long time, it reminded Hermione of something but she couldn't remember what, it felt familiar to her, but she didn't know why.

Hermione looked at Molly and smiled for the first time since she'd been rescued. Her aunt, the only family she had left. She stood up and walked over to her. "Mrs Weasley?" She said nervously and she turned to look at Hermione with a kind smile.

"Hermione, dear." She said and extended an arm to pull her into the hug. "It's so good to see you alive and well." She said sweetly.

"I'm so happy you're here, both of you." Hermione said with a smile just as Molly noticed the necklace hanging around her neck. Hermione turned to make her way back to the couch, to leave them to reunite in peace but Molly grabbed her by the arm and inspected the tear-drop necklace carefully.

"It can't be." She said quietly. "I haven't seen this necklace in over twenty years, not since Fabian-" She drifted off into thought as she remembered her lost brother. "You're his-"

Hermione nodded her head. "Hermione Molly Jean Prewett" She said and before she could take a breath Molly's arms were wrapped tightly around her, and even though she was crushing Hermione's incredibly sore body she didn't mind, she was the happiest she'd been in a very long time.

"Ginny would have been delighted." Molly said happily but then her eyes turned sad.

"She was thrilled, before she-" Hermione said sadly and then stopped, discovering she couldn't say the words. "She was with me the night I found out; I couldn't have gotten through it without her." She said truthfully. "I'm sorry about what happened to her."

"You remember?" Harry asked, with concern thick in his voice.

"I don't think I'll ever be able to forget." She said as she pushed back her tears at the memory. "So evil." She said and then turned and sat back down on the sofa and put her aching head in her hands as the memory seeped painfully through her mind. "I can't imagine how much pain he caused you." She said sadly.

"He let us bury her." Arthur said to offer Hermione a little comfort. He then looked to Ron for permission to continue, not knowing what he could and couldn't say around her, having been told by Harry what had happened to her. Ron looked at him with cautious eyes but nodded his head. "He gave us the privacy we needed to say goodbye. It didn't take away what he did, or the fact that we lost our little girl, but we know she had a good, respectful send off." He continued.

"Which is a lot more than most." Molly added.

"She was the bravest person I ever knew." Hermione told Molly just as the men made their way to the kitchen to make drinks and grab some food as they caught up.

Molly smiled kindly at Hermione in thanks as she sat down beside her. "It's been in our family for generations you know?" Molly said and gestured to the necklace.

"Do you know much about it?" Hermione asked.

"I only know that it is passed down to the first born of every generation. It was given to Fabian by our mother, her mother gave it to her, and then it just goes on. I don't even know exactly how long it's been in the family." Molly explained.

Hermione touched the pendant. "It's always cold." She said as she caressed it between her fingers. "Cold like ice. Do you know anything about that?" She asked.

Molly shook her head. "I'm afraid not." She said sadly. "Is it cold now?"

"Freezing." Hermione said and felt a shiver run down her spine.

"I'm sure a smart girl like you will figure it out." Molly assured her just as the men joined them from the kitchen and placed drinks and food onto the coffee table before sitting around it. Everyone tucked in apart from Harry and Hermione.

Hermione sat staring blankly ahead and Harry sat watching her. "Aren't you going to eat?" He asked catching her attention and seeing the sad look in her eyes properly for the first time.

"I can't." She said, it came out barely above a whisper, her throat was raw.

"You have to." Harry said but she just ignored him and went back to staring into space. Harry couldn't help but feel annoyed, livid even. How could she be so heartbroken when she didn't even remember the slimy little git?

"I see you have quite a lot of people out there, Harry." Arthur said, clearly impressed.

"We've been recruiting." Harry said, finally taking his attention away from Hermione to look at Mr Weasley. "Malfoy has been very preoccupied recently; we used it to our advantage." Harry explained, choosing his words carefully.

"He's been distracted by this new dark wizard, The King or something ridiculous like that." Ron added quickly and shot Harry a look of warning. "He's going to attack Malfoy soon." He said.

"And as soon as the two sides fight it out and one destroys the other, we're going to attack and take down whoever remains." Harry told Arthur.

"Very smart." Arthur said with a smile.

"We need to attack as soon as it's over, while they're most vulnerable." Harry said.

"Do you know when he plans to attack?" Arthur asked and Harry shook his head.

"In two days." Hermione said from the side-line, still staring blankly into the space in front of her.

"How do you know?" Harry asked and leant forward. Hermione just shrugged her shoulders and continued to stare. She didn't know how she knew, she just knew she did.

The rest of the group shared concerned looks and then with a fake yawn Arthur took Molly by the hand. "I think we'll give the three of you some space, we'll see you later." He said and with a smile left the room and made his way upstairs.

Harry moved from his spot on the floor and sat next to Hermione where Molly had been moments ago. "How much exactly do you remember?" He asked nervously.

Hermione shrugged her shoulders again. "Not very much." She said but didn't look at Harry. "I remember bits and pieces, but nothing is whole, it's all fragmented and disconnected." She explained as she thought hard against the blank spots in her mind.

"Please tell us Hermione, anything at all could help us bring Malfoy down." Ron said and learnt forward, eagerly anticipating her reaction. They didn't want to trigger any memories but the information she could give them was invaluable if they were to take him down once and for all.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before she nodded her head. "I remember being captured in the forest and being taken to Malfoy Manor where I was tortured by Lucius." She said and then rubbed her head in frustration. "I remember Malfoy coming back after he killed Lucius, but I don't remember anything else about it apart from the horror on everyone's faces as they realised what a monster he was."

"He really did kill his own father?" Ron asked with wide eyes.

"I don't know why you're shocked Ron." Harry said. "I found Lucius' body on the beach." He told Hermione. "He'd just been left there to rot." He said and noticed Hermione tense up and then rubbed the marks on her neck uncomfortably.

"He's evil." Hermione said quietly and Harry couldn't help but grin smugly as he leant back onto the couch so Hermione couldn't see him. Ron noticed it though and shot him a look that told him to stop being so immature.

"That's why we need to kill him, Hermione." Ron said quietly as if it were a secret, still not sure how she could react to the news. She nodded her head and Ron felt it was safe to continue. "We can't do it without you."

Hermione started to cry as she held her exhausted head in her hands. "I'm sorry I can't remember!" She said. "I'm trying I really am." She choked and Harry put his hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry about that." Harry said softly. "You don't even have to remember. You're safe now and back where you belong, that's the important thing." He assured her and she turned and put her head onto his chest as she cried tears of frustration and happiness. She was so relived Harry was being nice to her again.

Harry was surprised at first but then put his arms around her. He was shocked with how normal it felt to have her here, she really was the same person she had been before he.. manipulated and brainwashed her.

"I'm so lucky to have you." She sobbed. "Both of you." She said and looked at Ron who was sitting opposite her with pity in his eyes.

She eventually fell to sleep on the couch, wrapped in both Ron's itchy blanket and Harry's arms. "I think I'll stay with her tonight." Harry said as he watched her sleeping soundly on his chest, she'd eventually cried out the last bit of energy she had left.

"Are you sure that's a good idea, mate?" Ron asked.

"We'll be fine, Ron." Harry clipped but his face remained calm as he continued to watch her.

"Harry, she's fragile you can't take advantage of that." Ron said carefully causing Harry to finally look away from her and into his direction, his face now showing the irritation he felt.

"I've got her back, Ron." He whispered. "Do you think I'm going to make the same mistake twice?"

"She's just lost her husband!" Ron snapped and then looked to Hermione with worry in case she'd heard him but she remained peaceful.

"She's just _escaped_ her husband." Harry hissed, he hated referring to Malfoy as being anything to her, let alone her damned husband. "The man who killed your sister, need I remind you?" He said and then looked away and back at Hermione.

"And _your girlfriend_." Ron shot back. "Or is it _me_ who needs to remind _you_?" He said and then left the room swiftly, not even sparing Harry another look.

Harry felt bad for fighting with Ron, but worse for what happened to Ginny as he sat there with Hermione in his arms while Ginny was lying cold in the ground. She died because of his love for Hermione and she didn't even want him.

He thought about Draco as he held Hermione - Mrs Hermione Malfoy - in his arms and felt rage building inside him again. What the hell did Malfoy ever do to deserve her? He was going to kill him in the worst imaginable way possible, using the one thing he seemed to even remotely care about. He looked down to Hermione and smirked before he kissed her on the forehead and relaxed into the couch and closed his eyes.

* * *

Draco decided to carry on, business as usual. He turned the Manor back into headquarters effective immediately after Potter and his men departed. He sent out his orders to attack the Kings family, he also sent out a message to the men who'd betrayed him telling them that if they returned immediately they would not be judged, but welcomed back to fight for the winning side. Of course it wasn't true, he planned to kill every single traitor that returned, it wasn't about increasing his numbers, it was about damaging the King's and getting revenge. He also sent out groups of snatchers to recruit men, and kill anyone who wasn't loyal to him.

He once again sat at the head of the dining table, surrounded by his 'loyal followers', who were discussing battle strategy and other pointless things, Draco wouldn't be doing anything these people suggested, none of them could be trusted. He would only reveal his real plans on a need-to-know basis. He came to the meeting anyway, and the others before it just to throw them all off, knowing whatever he said during the meetings would get back to the King one way or another.

As he always did he dismissed the table and remained seated with Blaise and Devereux. As soon as enough time had passed they began discussing real ideas, real plans.

"I'm told he plans to attack us here at the Manor the day after tomorrow at dusk." Devereux said. "He knows we're going to be expecting him."

Draco nodded along. "We're going to be sitting ducks if we stay here." He said keeping his tone low and refined.

"We'll have his children." Blaise said. "He's going to need to be very careful about what he does."

"The Manor is the best place to fight, we know it inside and out and the King does not." Devereux said.

"Not to mention the wards that could easily match those at Hogwarts with a little help from someone who knows the secrets of both the school and the Manor." Blaise added.

Draco shook his head, knowing straight away who Blaise was hinting at. "She can't be trusted." He dismissed.

"You're a fool, Draco." Blaise said and rolled his eyes impatiently. "She's probably the only person left who you actually can trust."

"After everything my mother's done? You think I'm-"

"She's gone, Draco." Devereux said firmly. "Move on, so we can win this war."

Draco looked at Devereux with hate in his eyes but then nodded. "You're right." He said simply. "No point dwelling on the past." He said and then sat back in his chair. "You're to ask her for assistance with the wards but nothing else. Insist she stay at Hogwarts for her safety." He ordered.

"Are you really going to move past this whole Hermione thing?" Blaise asked cautiously.

"Of course I am Blaise, what do you take me for?" Draco asked. "I had a lot of fun with the girl but now it's over and I can finally concentrate on what really matters. In fact, since she's been gone I've realised what a fool I was to let her distract me. It was probably her plan all along, it's a good thing she's gone."

"If you're sure." Blaise said, clearly unconvinced.

"I've never been more certain of anything in my life." Draco said firmly. "She is nothing to me." He said clearly. "Although I do admit, I got a little caught up in the chase." He admitted, "But what can I say? I'm a predator." He said with a smirk and then stood up and left the two men sitting in the dining room looking confused.

* * *

Draco poured himself a glass of fire-whiskey and sat on the sofa in his room and stared into the dancing flames of the fire in front of him. It felt good to finally be alone.

 _Alone._

The thought nibbled at his subconscious as he took a large gulp of his favourite vintage, letting the warm liquid comfort him slightly as it slid down his throat.

He remembered the frightened look on her face as she looked at him for the last time as she ran away from him and it was like a dagger through his heart. He heard her cry as she hit the floor only to be dragged back up again and taken away. Taken away from him when all he wanted to do was comfort her and tell her that she was going to be okay. Then again, that's probably what Potter was doing right now. He thought bitterly as he felt another stab through his heart. He soothed the pain by downing the rest of his drink whole and then poured himself another glass.

The last words she spoke to him rang in his ears over and over again.

 _I love you._

He took another large gulp of whiskey and he tried to shake away the words but it was no use. Eventually he was at the end of his glass again in a desperate attempt to drown out her voice.

It was for the best, she's safe now, he told himself but he could see straight through his own lies.

What had he done?

He threw his empty glass against the fireplace and angrily watched it smash into pieces. It was a physical action of what he'd emotionally done to his heart, and to Hermione's whether she remembered it or not. Maybe it really was for the best, he destroyed everything he touched.

He sat there bitterly as he thought about everything he'd put her though, and how she still loved him, how she fell to her knees and begged him not to send her away, even though he was a monster she still managed to see something in him, something only she could see, something that made her marry him and vow to spend the rest of her life in this bullshit situation just to be with him and what did he do? He just sent her away.

He reached for his glass again and then remembered it was in pieces on the floor so instead just grabbed the bottle and took a generous swig. He made his way over to the bed and stood on what used to be Hermione's side and looked at it sadly. He ran his fingers gently over the sheets she used to sleep on, he let out a small cry and then ripped his fingers away and sniffed loudly before taking another gulp from the bottle.

He walked over to his side and lay down as he normally did, he reached over to touch her, and even though he knew she wasn't there his heart still broke a little more when he felt nothing. He rested his hand on the empty space next him and finally allowed Hermione's words to play through his mind, he didn't want to fight it anymore. And for the first time in his entire life Draco cried himself to sleep, knowing it probably wouldn't be the last. Three little words ringing in his ears, repeating over and over again.

 _I love you._

* * *

"I'm sorry for how I acted last night." Harry said as he placed a cup of tea onto the table in front of Ron before taking a seat beside him. "I was a prat." He admitted and took nervous sip out of his own cup.

"It's fine." Ron said and then took an ungraceful swig of his tea, only to realise it was far too hot as he tried to cool it down in his mouth.

Harry laughed as he watched him. "I just can't believe things are back to normal." He said as Ron finally managed to swallow his tea with mild discomfort.

"Things aren't really normal." Ron said and then wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve.

Harry nodded his head with a sigh. "I'm just glad she's back."

"Me too," Ron said and took a bite out of his toast. "Let's not ruin it ok?" He said as he chewed.

"I won't." Harry assured him, not wanting another argument with his friend. "I just don't know how to act around her anymore. How can I go on pretending that what happened to her doesn't bother me?"

"Well you don't need to pretend because she already knows." Hermione said as she walked into the room and sat on the sofa, having clearly overheard.

"Already knows what Mione?" Ron asked, deciding it was always best to just play dumb when caught out by her.

"I'm not deaf." She spat as she pulled her boots on.

"Going someplace?" Ron asked as he watched her.

"Well we can't just stay here stuffing our faces can we?" She asked as she turned around to glare at them. "We're heading into battle tomorrow and you two don't even know where we're going to begin."

"We don't even know who we'll be fighting yet." Ron said dismissively.

"I'd bet money it will be Malfoy." She said as she turned her attention back to her boots and began to lace them. "It's irrelevant anyway." She added.

"We know what we're doing Hermione, we've been managing without you for some time now." Harry said lazily.

"And what exactly have you accomplished?" Hermione asked coldly.

"We rescued you." Harry said, quite clearly offended.

"Well you took too long." Hermione spat and then started to adjust the holster where she kept her wand. "And how exactly did you get this back?" She asked and dangled her wand in front of them.

"It was part of the bargain." Harry said nastily. He didn't know why he felt so much anger towards her at this moment; maybe it was the fact that she had the audacity to tell him he'd taken too long after everything she'd done, even if she didn't even know she'd done any of it.

She shot a look at Harry. "If you have such a problem with me then why didn't you just leave me there?"

"You'd have liked that wouldn't you"? Harry spat and regretted it as soon as the words had left his mouth.

She narrowed her eyes as she stood up and then she took a step closer to the pair. "You think I liked being tortured and locked in a cell?" She asked. "While you two were dancing around like nothing happened?" Then she took another step forward. "Do you think I liked it when you escaped and got everyone out of that hellhole except for me?" She spat. She had now reached the table and slammed her hands down onto it. "Do you think I like what he did to my body?!"

Harry and Ron both didn't know what to say, how could they defend themselves without telling her the truth?

"We're sorry, Hermione." Ron said quietly. "Harry doesn't know what he's saying."

"I can't help what happened to me, Harry." Hermione said as she looked into his eyes. "I thought you of all people would understand, but if you have such a problem with it I'll just leave."

"No!" Harry said immediately and shot up to his feet, spilling his tea on the table as he knocked into it. He took a nervous look at Hermione and then to Ron who were both looking at him with confused looks spread across their faces. He lowered himself back into his chair and composed himself again. "No, you're our best friend don't be so ridiculous." He said, more professionally and composed.

"Well then maybe you could start acting like it?" Hermione said and then turned away and walked to the door.

"Where are you going?" Harry asked nervously.

"Away from you." She said dismissively as she walked through the door and slammed it shut behind her.

Ron sat back in his chair as he relaxed for the first time since Hermione had entered the room. "So what were you saying about not ruining it?" He asked and Harry just rolled his eyes as he stood up and followed her out of the room.

"Hey!" He said as he reached for her arm but she just pulled it away. "Listen to me!" He said as they reached the top of the stairs and he successfully grabbed hold of her wrist. She swung around to glare at him. "I'm sorry, okay? I can't change the things that happened to you, but I wish I could more than anything else." He said truthfully.

She looked away from his eyes awkwardly. "It's okay, I understand." She said and then tried to turn away but Harry held her in place.

"How do you feel?" He asked, having not really considered her feelings at all since she'd been back.

She looked back into his bright, green eyes. "Empty." She admitted. "I feel completely empty and cold, all the time."

He looked at her sadly. "We're going to make him pay for what he's done, you know?"

She nodded her head. "I hope so."

"What he did to you was unforgivable." He said and she nodded again. "You probably hate him more than all of us. I can't even begin to imagine what he's taken from you." He continued and she nodded along as she considered his words. "That's why you should be the one who kills him." He added and she stopped nodding and stared at him blankly. "It needs to be you." He added and then held his breath as he waited for a response.

"I- I can't kill someone." She whispered and then looked around just in case someone had overheard. "You killed Voldemort, it has to be you."

"After everything he's done to you, your face is the one he deserves to see when he finally gets what he deserves." Harry explained quietly.

Hermione swallowed hard as she thought about it. "I'd only mess it up, Harry." She said but he just shook his head dismissively.

"You're the brightest witch our age; it's time you showed him that." He said. "Make him pay."

Hermione nodded her head slowly. "How would I do it? I don't think I could." She said as she thought about it.

"Maybe he'll drop his guard so low around you it will be easier than first year Charms." He suggested.

"And why would he drop his guard around me?" Hermione asked suspiciously.

Harry thought about his words carefully.. "Because he underestimates you." He said at last. "He doesn't see you as a threat; maybe you should show him why he should."

"Maybe it's because I'm not a threat." Hermione said and Harry tensed up at the thought of her remembering her feelings towards Malfoy. "Look at how easily I got myself captured by him in the first place."

He took an inward sigh of relief, she hadn't remembered. Even though he knew it wasn't possible he was still worried that Malfoy may have missed something, Hermione was too smart and if one mistake had been made she would figure it out and start asking questions until she found out the truth. Harry could not let that happen. "You're brilliant." He assured her. "You're the most amazing person I've ever known." He said and stroked her cheek gently with the back of his finger.

Hermione pulled her face away almost immediately and looked at him sadly. "Don't," was all she said before she turned away and walked into her room, closing the door gently behind her.

Harry stood staring blankly at the door in front of him. He hated Malfoy for what he'd done, what he'd taken from him.

But he would be the one laughing in the end, when Malfoy is killed by his own wife. Harry smiled triumphantly at the thought. It was all too perfect. Malfoy would get what he deserved, and Hermione would finally be his.

* * *

The mood was light and the alcohol was flowing at the final meeting before the big battle the following day. Draco assured everyone that there was nothing to fear and that the alleged 'plans' he'd put in place would not fail, of course only Draco, Blaise and Devereux knew what would really happen.

He told his men to relax and to enjoy their last night before the war really kicked off, as a reward for such loyal service, but told them to be fighting fit for the battle that was to come, because it would be a very bloody one if any of them were not on top form.

The members of the meeting had spread out across the dining room as they laughed and drank. Draco ordered the elves to bring food and before long over half of the men in the room had women hanging from their arms, all swooning over stories of battle and bravery.

Draco stood by the fire with Blaise as they studied the men around the room. "That one right there-" Blaise said loudly and all too obviously pointed his finger at a middle-aged man standing by the piano trying to charm a young woman who clearly wasn't interested. "-needs a new hair-piece." Blaise said loudly and he and Draco laughed as the awkward man quickly adjusted his hair and then skulked off to the other side of the room away from them. "You're welcome!" Blaise shouted to the woman, and with a half-smile she turned away and returned to her friends, who would look over to the pair every so often, causing them to believe that the woman was relaying what had happened.

"She seemed quite taken by you." Draco said and raised his eyebrows.

"She wasn't smiling at me." Blaise said and covered his smirk by taking a sip of his drink.

"Of course she was you saved her from old 'hair-piece' over there." Draco said dismissively.

"Yes, but I bet it's the _Dark Lord_ she's talking about right now." Blaise said and gestured over to her direction slightly. Draco turned to see her looking straight into his eyes as she talked with her friends.

"The old Draco would never pass up an opportunity this good." Blaise teased and Draco turned away from the woman to look at Blaise again. He didn't respond, he didn't know how to so he just took a large mouthful of his drink. He saw Devereux walking over and had never been happier to see the man.

"Devereux!" Draco said, finally breaking the tension. "Here have a drink." He said and handed Devereux a glass of whiskey.

"I don't really like whiskey." Devereux said but sipped at the drink anyway.

"Well what's your poison? I'll have someone get it for you." Draco offered.

"No, it's okay." Devereux said with a shrug. "I doubt you could afford it." He added and then looked at Draco seriously. He stared back and then they both burst into laughter causing everyone to turn around to see what had amused them so much.

"I am scraping a bit at the moment." Draco said sarcastically. Even though joking about how well-off he was made him cringe a little he still did it, because after all, money is power.

"The wife is dead and we have the children." Devereux whispered as soon as the people in the room had returned to their own conversations.

"Good, should we expect immediate retaliation?" Draco asked just as quietly.

"No, the King won't find out until tomorrow, and then it would be impractical for him to attack any sooner than planned." Devereux said.

"Well make sure you stay on your guard none the less." Draco said. "The wards? Are they done yet?" He asked.

Devereux nodded his head. "Everything is in place, My Lord"

Blaise stepped forward, "Right, well then I'm not going to stand around all night thinking about it then." He said and wandered off, taking to random groups of people and shamelessly flirting with the girls he passed.

Draco couldn't believe how much he used to enjoy events like this one, they made him feel powerful but now he just wasn't interested. He looked at Devereux who looked almost as awkward as he felt. "Hey, Devereux." Draco said and turned to the man. "How about we head up to my study? I'll get you some of that drink I can't afford." He suggested and with a smile Devereux nodded his head.

* * *

"How are you feeling?" Devereux asked cautiously as he and Draco drank and smoked by the fire in his study.

Draco looked at the cigarette in his hand, the first one he'd touched since Hermione asked him to stop all that time ago. He felt a bit guilty but what did it matter? She was gone, and he needed everything he could get his hands on to take that pain away.

"Confident." Draco said without really considering the question.

"I know what happened hurt you, no matter how much you try to hide it." Devereux said and noticed Draco tense up immediately as he always did whenever there was a chance the topic of his wife might be brought up. "It's alright you know? To grieve." Devereux added.

Draco nodded his head absentmindedly. "She's not dead." He said as he looked into the flames.

"Do you think it would be easier if she was?" Devereux asked.

Draco tensed up again and the mere suggestion of it. "No." He said and shook his head. "I wish she was still with me, but she's out there somewhere with someone else, and it's my fault."

"It will get better with time." Devereux said and just then a very drunk Blaise fell through the door, with a bottle of whiskey in one hand and the woman from earlier that evening in his other.

"I see you've moved the party upstairs." Blaise slurred as he tried to focus on the pair of them but was clearly struggling. "Good, because I've got you a little something." He finished and threw the woman onto Draco's lap.

"Are you out of your mind?" Draco asked, quite clearly irritated by the whole situation. "You're quite clearly drunk so if I were you I would get out of here right now, take your girl with you, and forget about all of this." Draco said, it was more of a warning than an offer.

"You need a good fuck before the big fight." He blurted out ungracefully and the woman tried to stroke Draco's chest but he just batted her little hand away like it was an annoying bug.

"I'm married." Draco seethed as he tried to suppress his growing anger towards his friend.

"She's gone, Draco!" Blaise said and then stumbled slightly, only just catching his balance before he almost fell to the floor. "You need to forget about her!"

"I can help with that." The woman offered as she twirled a piece of her chocolate coloured hair around her finger and looked at him seductively. With that Draco felt something snap inside him, like a rubber band. He grabbed the woman by the hair and threw her roughly onto the floor away from him.

"I've just lost my wife, and you present me with this whore?" Draco spat at Blaise nastily as the woman cried and trembled on the floor between them. "Have you forgotten that nobody is supposed to even know that Hermione isn't still here!?"He shouted, the look in his eyes almost manic. "Kill the stupid bitch." Draco ordered and then turned to leave as the woman started to beg for her life.

"Please, I won't tell!" She pleaded. "Wipe my memory! Please don't kill me!" She sobbed.

Devereux stepped forward. "Maybe the woman doesn't need to die." He suggested but Draco just glared at him for a moment before he turned his attention to Blaise again.

"Yes she does, and you'll be the one to do it." Draco said and pointed his finger at Blaise. "It was your plain stupidity that put her here in the first place. So now you can live the rest of your life with her blood on your hands." Draco spat and then left the room to the chorus of screams and struggles, and finally, a bright flash of green light.


	26. Chapter 26

**Double update! Please make sure you've read Chapter 25 before you continue!**

* * *

Draco opened his eyes and was immediately faced by the emptiness of his bed, as he looked at his hand resting on the bare sheets in front of him yet again. He swallowed hard and then sat up; he couldn't afford to let her distract him today.

There was a loud knock on Draco's door that caused him to stiffen up. "My Lord, it's me." Blaise' voice came from behind Draco's door.

"Come in." He instructed and Blaise entered the room but didn't look at Draco and kept his eyes to the floor. "Forgive me for intruding, My Lord, but I'm afraid it couldn't wait." Blaise said cautiously, he was no longer acting like Draco's friend, but more like an average follower.

"Well, spit it out." Draco said lazily.

"An owl came first thing this morning, from the King." Blaise said and handed Draco a note.

Draco unrolled it and read carefully before angrily screwing it up and throwing it aside.

"My Lord?" Blaise questioned.

"Get Devereux, now." Draco ordered and with a nod Blaise left the room in search of him.

Draco quickly showered and dressed and when he came back into his bedroom Devereux was already waiting for him. "You sent for me?" He asked as he sat comfortably on the sofa.

"I received a message from the King." Draco said as he sat down beside him. Devereux sat forward in anticipation and gestured for Draco to continue. "He said his wife was nothing but a cheating whore, and that we did him a favour by killing her. He also said it was a shame we didn't kill his good for nothing brother too." Draco explained as calmly as he could.

"Are you sure he isn't bluffing?" Devereux asked.

Draco nodded his head slowly. "He said he knows the bastard kids aren't his and we'd be doing him a favour if we killed them too."

Devereux nodded as he tried to absorb the news. "Anything else?" He asked.

"He said that despite his hatred for his wife and her children, he is still going to make me suffer the pain I tried to cause him, and said that he is going to rip Hermione to pieces, limb by limb, while I watch. He put particular emphasis on her name, to prove to me that he knows who she is." Draco said through gritted teeth, suddenly unable to control his anger.

"I have some more bad news." Devereux said carefully, deciding it was best to tell Draco sooner rather than later. "We lost two hundred fighting men last night. They left, supposedly to fight for the King. His numbers now outweigh our own." Devereux explained.

"So we have fewer men, nothing to bargain with, and we're practically trapped here at the Manor?" Draco said as he tried to keep his cool. Devereux nodded his head, it was all he could do. "Leave me." Draco said as he sat back.

"The remaining men are expecting to see you this morning." Devereux said.

"They can carry on expecting." Draco said dismissively. "Tell them my wife has fallen ill and she needs me with her at this difficult time." He explained. "I will see them before and during the battle only." He said and then poured himself a drink.

"Do you think that's a good idea, My Lord?" Devereux asked as he eyed up the alcohol.

"Actually I think it's a great idea. In fact, I recommend you do the same, it will probably be the last chance you get." Draco said and then waved his hand to dismiss the man. Devereux finally got the hint and left him alone.

Draco didn't end up touching his drink, he just sat and stared at it for what must have been a few hours, just thinking about ways he could still have a chance of winning but he couldn't find a single one. Devereux and Blaise had tried to talk him out of his room but he'd refused every time.

There was another knock on Draco's door, he rolled his eyes before he stood up and walked over to it. "This had better be an emergency?" He spat as he swung the door open.

"It seems to be." Narcissa said as she walked into the room, not caring for an invite.

Great, this is just what he needed, another lecture from his mother. He didn't say anything; he just sat down again and finally took a mouthful of his drink, just seeing her was enough to tip him over the edge. "The boys tell me you've been wallowing in self-pity." She said as she looked around the room, inspecting it like she'd never been in there before.

"Well what do you expect me to do?" He spat. "We have no chance of winning." He said dismissively.

"I expect you to fight." She said sternly. "This isn't who you are, Draco."

"I don't know who I am anymore." He said quietly as he looked into his glass.

"You're a Malfoy!" She said proudly. "We do not just sit back and let somebody take everything from us."

"He's already taken everything." Draco said and Narcissa walked over to him and snatched the glass out of his hand before he could take his next sip. He looked up and glared at her but she paid no mind to his evil look. Draco hated the fact that she was the one person in the world that wasn't afraid of him.

She placed his glass on the table across the room and faced him again. "After everything you've done to protect your empire and our family name, you're going to let it all go to waste?" She asked.

"There is nothing left to fight for." He said, defeated.

"You did the right thing, you know?" She said gently in an effort to comfort him.

"What the hell would you know?" He spat and shot her a disgusted look, as if he truly hated her.

"You killed my husband Draco, I know better than anyone what you're going through." She said firmly.

"He was going to get us all killed." Draco said dismissively, refusing to have it used against him.

"Yes, which is why it was the right thing to do, but I still loved that man in the same way you love Hermione, but I carried on, I carried on for my son." She said softly but he just stood up and glared at her.

"Don't act like you've ever cared about me!" He shouted. "My whole life you've filled my head with your lies about blood-supremacy and prejudice. If it wasn't for you then maybe Hermione and I might have actually had a chance!"

"Draco, you've got it wrong-" Narcissa tried but she could tell he wasn't interested.

"All you ever cared about was making me fit to take over after Voldemort, you had me tortured and manipulated until there was nothing good left in me!" He said viciously. "Hermione showed me what real love is, and all I knew how to do was destroy her! Because of you."

Narcissa was lost for words as she watched her heartbroken son fall to pieces in front of her, knowing that there was nothing she could do or say that would make him feel better. She turned away and walked towards the door as his eyes burned into her.

"She's still out there Draco, and if you think she's ever going to be safe as long as the King lives, you're wrong. I'll be downstairs preparing for battle. I do hope you'll find the strength to join me." She said quietly and then left the room.

Draco turned and looked out of the window, the sun was hanging low in the sky and he knew he'd run out of time.

It was nearly twenty minutes before Blaise came rushing in, with a concerned look on his face. "He's been sighted, we don't have much time." He said breathlessly, Draco had never seen him this shook up before. "His own snatchers are going around the country killing anyone who is loyal to you as we speak."

Draco turned to face him. "Do you have any bright ideas?" He asked. "We're outnumbered."

"That doesn't mean anything!" Blaise said firmly. "I never had you down as the kind of man who just gives up like this, if I had I would have just joined the King when I had the chance."

"Well it's not too late." Draco spat.

"I'm not going because for some insane reason I still believe I'm on the winning side." He said sincerely. "As long as you pull your head out of your arse and stop being so selfish. What would Hermione think?" He asked.

"You know nothing about her." Draco snapped as he clenched his fists.

"I know she's far too clever to fall in love with a snivelling little whimp." Blaise countered rather smugly. "What would she say if she was here right now?" He asked.

"She's not." Draco said stubbornly.

"Well then let me tell you-" Blaise said as he stepped forward. "-She wouldn't say a damn thing to you, she would be out there on that battlefield right now ready to fight for what she loves, and being outnumbered would never be enough to stop her." He said and then before Draco could respond turned away and walked towards the door. "If you're going to die at least die the man she loved, not the whiney, defeated, shell of a man you are now." He said.

Draco attempted to respond and then closed his mouth again in defeat. Blaise was right. "My mother once said that heartbreak changed people, I've never understood how it could until now. Thank you Blaise, you truly are a good friend."

Blaise did nothing more than nod his head. He was shocked Draco hadn't murdered him for the things he'd just said, combined with his drunken antics the previous night.

Draco straightened himself up and his face turned cold again, an expression Blaise never thought he would be grateful to see. "I'm sorry, I went soft for a moment there." Draco said, clearly embarrassed.

"As long as it doesn't happen again." Blaise said with a small smile. "The fact that you truly care for something is what sets you apart from Voldemort, maybe with something so important to fight for, you might just do better than he did."

Draco nodded. "I truly hope so. Ready our remaining forces, we either win tonight or we die trying, no holding back, no mercy." Draco instructed clearly. With a nod Blaise left the room to prepare, passing Devereux at the door. Devereux stepped through and closed the door gently behind him before he turned to look at Draco, he was surprised to see his cold look set firmly back in place, the room had a certain feel of evil in the air as it used to whenever Draco was in it, which had been lacking as of late. Draco seemed to finally be getting back to normal and Devereux was pleased for it.

"I'm glad to see you're finally yourself again." He said with a smirk.

"Glad to be back." Draco nodded.

* * *

"The battle will start today, we need to do some last minute recruiting to ensure we have the numbers by the end of it." Harry said as he pulled his jacket on.

"It's dangerous out there at the moment; I can feel it in the air." Ron said as he stood by the open window by the front door. "We don't want to die before it's even started."

"We'll just be careful, people are more willing to stand up now than ever before, they don't fear Malfoy the way they used to, not now there's someone trying to overthrow him, someone who's managed to live this long." Harry assured him. "It's worth the risk, believe me."

"I'm with Harry, it would be stupid not to." Hermione said as she seemed to appear from thin air.

"Where do you come from Hermione?!" Ron said, clearly startled. "You'll be the death of me if you carry on like that."

"Right then, it's decided, Ron and I will go door to door of those we suspect to be willing, and Hermione, you will-"

"-be coming with you." She clipped before he could fob her off with something else.

"It's not safe." Harry said, clearly unhappy with her suggestion.

"What makes it any less safe for me than either of you?" She asked with her arms folded tight against her chest. Harry and Ron exchanged a knowing look that didn't go unnoticed. "See there you go again!" She accused. "What are you two hiding from me?"

"It wouldn't look good if you were there." Harry said, already exhausted from this conversation.

"Why ever not?" She demanded and Harry regretted speaking at all, yet again.

"Fine!" He said and rolled his eyes. "You can come but I don't want you involved with any of the negotiating, in fact, I don't even want you to be seen."

She frowned suspiciously and narrowed her eyes. Harry swallowed hard as his mouth turned dry; she was already too close to figuring something out.

"What gives you the right to tell me what to do?" She asked in a raised tone.

"He's overprotective, just ignore him." Ron said lazily as if he was bored by the whole situation. Thank God for Ron, Harry thought. If it hadn't been for him then he didn't know what he would have done or said half of the time. He was much smarter than most people gave him credit for.

"Let's go." Hermione said, dropping the topic but still looking too suspicious for Harry's liking.

They left the cottage without another word and then disapparated to a small clearing in a thick wooded area. "Not too far from here I think." Ron said as he began to walk. Harry and Hermione quickly followed.

They seemed to walk to what felt like an hour, Hermione could tell it was late as the sun hung low between the never-ending tree trunks ahead of the trio. "Are you sure you know where you're going?" Hermione asked as she folded her arms in an attempt to warm herself up a little.

"Not entirely." Ron admitted.

Harry put his head into his hands as they walked. "You have got to be kidding me." He muffled into his palms irritably as they walked.

"Shhhhh!" Hermione said as she came to a standstill. "We're not alone." She whispered causing Harry and Ron to suddenly stop.

The three of them stood, lost in the woods listening hard, they heard a branch snap to their right and they all darted their eyes to where the noise came from as they absentmindedly took a step closer to each other for some kind of extra security.

"What do we have here?" Slithered a voice from behind them. The three of them flicked around quickly to find a large, bearded man standing in front of them.

"Just out for a walk." Harry said as he reached out his hand slightly behind him to grab Hermione's protectively.

The man laughed loudly. "You do expect me to believe that, do you?" He asked. Hermione heard another branch snap behind her and turned her head slightly to see another large man behind them out of the corner of her eye. She squeezed Harry's hand lightly in an effort to warn him.

"What side do you fight for?" Harry asked, rather bravely Hermione thought.

"The winning side." The man said simply.

Harry looked at his arm and didn't see the dark mark which was now exclusive to Malfoy's followers. "The King? Us too." He said confidently.

"Oh really?" He said with a raised eyebrow. "Then why are you here with Mrs. Malfoy?" He said and then looked at Hermione.

Hermione looked behind her, expecting to see Narcissa standing there but instead she saw two large men standing there instead, trapping them in. She looked back to the man in front of her who was looking at her as if he'd struck gold.

"I think you ought to hand her over." The man suggested, the tone in his voice spelled warning if they didn't comply.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Hermione asked, dumbfounded. "I don't know who you think I am but-?"

He chuckled darkly interrupting her, "-I know exactly who you are Mrs. Malfoy, you're the person our King is oh so anxious to meet."

She let out a loud laugh, louder than she expected. "You're mad!" She blurted. "I am _not_ Mrs. Malfoy!" She said clearly and Harry squeezed her hand lightly, she didn't know why, maybe a warning. She noticed something cold around her neck, something so heavy it felt like it could pull her to the ground. She looked down briefly to see it was only her necklace; it was colder than it had ever been.

"Nice try lady, you're coming with us." He said as he pulled out his wand and pointed it at them.

"Mrs. Malfoy." She said out loud to herself, tasting the foreign words like poison in her mouth. She put her hand on her head and looked to the ground. Harry and Ron both had their wands drawn too as Hermione just stood there, confused and undefended.

"You don't want to do anything stupid now boys, drop those wands and hand over the girl." The man warned.

"Did I marry him?" Hermione asked herself, she was shamelessly having a conversation with herself now as she tried to remember, not caring about the audience around her. "I'm Mrs. Malfoy?" She said again and her necklace warmed up, it got warmer and warmer until it felt hot around her neck, she brought an unsteady, trembling hand to touch it as her friends and captors alike watched her carefully and curiously. As soon as her fingers made contact with the pendant she ripped them away and clutched her head in pain.

Harry watched helplessly as she hissed and screamed in pain clutching her head so tightly he thought she could actually do some serious harm to herself. He knew what was happening, although he wished it wasn't so. The ruby pendant of the necklace around her neck was swirling like there was a naked flame inside of it.

"What in Salazar's name is she playing at?" The man demanded as he pointed his wand at her.

Memory after memory filled her mind forcefully and relentlessly, they made her head hurt so badly she just wanted to block them out but she couldn't, what was happening was completely beyond her control so she just stood there, stood there and waited for every last memory of Draco to fill her again until she stood in the clearing of the woods panting and sweating with tears rolling uncontrollably down her cold face.

"You're coming with us girl!" The man said loudly, having clearly had enough of this bizarre situation.

"How much would you bet?" Hermione asked in a low tone, a tone none of them had ever heard before.

"What?" The man asked, slightly surprised by her sudden boldness.

"Your life?" She asked in the same unnerving tone. The stranger pointed his wand in her direction again but he was too slow, she'd already drawn hers and with a flash of deadly green light he fell lifelessly to the ground. She turned quickly and sent a Crucio at one of the men behind her whilst Harry shot a spell at the other which wrapped him in chains.

Hermione concentrated hard on her curse but found that it lacked the energy it had the last time she'd used it which made her surprisingly frustrated. She could hear Harry shouting at her just over the nameless man's pathetic screams but she was concentrating so hard on the curse that she couldn't understand what he was saying. She used all of the anger and pain that Draco had caused her by sending her away and pushed it through her wand, but it still wasn't enough, it didn't make the curse any stronger and it didn't take the pain away.

Without lifting the Crucio she sharply flicked her wand and emitted another bright green light momentarily merging the torture and killing curse into one, emitting a yellow, ridged bolt from her wand with a frightening buzzing sound before she murdered the man where he lay, curled up in a ball in the dirt.

She turned to look at Harry and Ron who were looking at her with their wands pointed firmly in her direction. "I'm going to be sick." She said hazily, the darkness in her tone was gone and she sounded like her normal self again. The woodland around her started to blur and sway as she looked at Harry and Ron, and then it turned to blackness as she passed out.

* * *

"Hermione?" Ron said firmly as he looked down on her unconscious form, not daring to get too close. She began to stir slightly causing both him and Harry to take a step back and point their wands at her again. "Hermione, are you okay?" He said for what felt like the tenth time.

"Draco?" She said almost inaudibly causing Harry to roll his eyes and look at her with disgust again. He'd been so God damned close! They didn't respond, they just continued to watch her as she stirred. "I knew you'd be angry, please don't be angry with me." She said, still so quietly it was no more than a whisper.

Harry and Ron exchanged a confused look before Ron decided to speak. "What?" Was the only word he could find.

"I know you didn't want me to- I had to do it they were going to kill us. Please just say something."

"Are you hearing what I'm hearing?" Ron asked Harry but he didn't respond, he was concentrating hard on what Hermione was saying and seemed almost irritated that Ron had spoken.

"You had to do what?" Harry finally asked her, trying to keep her talking.

"I had to kill them, I'm sorry." She looked distressed, as if she was having a terrible nightmare but they just watched, not knowing what else to do. "Don't leave! Draco I'm sorry!" She said loudly and then jolted upright, breathing hard.

Hermione's eyes darted from side to side as she scrambled to her feet. Feeling unsteady she looked around frantically. "Where is he?" She asked, her voice desperate and longing.

"Dead hopefully." Harry said flatly.

She bolted around and glared at him. "He was here! Don't you lie to me!" She continued to look but all she could see was the bodies of the two snatchers she'd killed in the exact spots she'd left them, and then the third man who was chained to a nearby tree.

"It was a dream Hermione." Ron said gently as he took a cautious step towards her. She turned to face him and looked truly devastated. She didn't speak, she didn't need to, her eyes told him that all she could feel was heartbreak. He walked over to her, wrapped his big arm around her and pulled her into a hug, to Harry's disappointment.

"She's a murderer." Harry spat. "And you think she deserves a hug?"

"She was confused Harry, she'd just got her memory back." Ron defended although he didn't know if he even believed that himself.

"She killed them!" Harry shouted as he gestured angrily to the bodies on the floor.

"If I hadn't they would have killed us!" Hermione shouted back, her voice cracked and sore.

"That's never how we've done things!"

"And that's why we lost!" Hermione shouted so loud her words echoed around the woods.

Harry looked taken aback for a moment before he shot her a disgusted look. "What happened to you?" He asked. "You've turned your back on everything we fought so hard for."

"I'm still the same! We are at war! When will you realise that we can't just flutter around expecting to win because we're good? I still want the world to be a good place! I still want Muggle-borns to have the same rights as purebloods! I still love you both more than I love life itself!" She shouted and for once Harry seemed to be lost for words. He took a breath to speak after a while but Hermione cut him off as she continued. "But I love Draco too."

Harry snapped his mouth shut again; she could tell he wasn't happy.

"I need to go back." She said quietly. "He needs me."

"He sent you away. He gave you to me in exchange for peace. He doesn't need you, or want you." Harry spat.

Hermione buried her face into Ron's chest as she fought against the pain in her chest. Harry's words ringing true in her ears.

"You don't even know where he is." Ron said as he stroked her hair. He was far from happy with Hermione for the things that she'd done, but she was his best friend, his family, and no matter how hard he tried he couldn't turn his back on her, he'd already lost enough people he loved.

"I know someone who will." She said as she pulled her head away and looked to the snatcher tied to the tree. "When will The King strike?" Hermione asked.

He grinned at her. "It has begun, it began a long time ago." He said as he looked her up and down, his long brown hair was coated in sweat and clung to his face as he watched her.

"Don't try to be clever with me." She snapped as she moved away from Ron and took a step closer to the snatcher. "Where will the fight take place? Will he attack the Malfoy Manor?"

"Didn't your beloved tell you anything?" The snatcher asked and then laughed. "Maybe your friend is right, doesn't sound like you meant much to him at all."

"I mean everything to him!" She countered and both Harry and the snatcher snorted with laughter at the same time.

"That's why you don't know what's happening." The snatcher said lazily.

"You're going to tell me." She stated.

"Or you'll kill him?" Harry asked, almost mockingly.

"If I have to." Hermione said simply as she moved towards one of the dead bodies in the clearing and removed a jagged knife from the holster around the bodies waist, she held the blade in up so she could see it clearly and examined it carefully as she walked back towards the living snatcher. "I know you know what's going on - this is your last chance to tell me."

The snatcher spat at Hermione in response. She quickly pointed the knife in his face and pressed the point firmly into his cheek until it drew a small amount of blood. "I haven't got time to play around. Tell me where they are." She demanded.

The snatcher hissed in pain but didn't speak. She pushed harder and started to move the knife slowly down his face, leaving a trail of blood in its wake. The man's blood trailed down the blade, onto the handle of the knife and then onto Hermione's steady hands.

"Look at what she's doing!" Harry shouted.

"The man I love is in danger and I will do anything to help him, do you hear me?!" She seethed. "You have ten seconds before this gets really nasty for you." She said and then began to count down from ten, her voice cold and threatening, her eyes twisted with warning, but the man still didn't speak. "3-2-1….Suit yourself." She said and pulled the knife away from his face and suddenly drove it into the man's shoulder causing him to cry out loudly in pain. "Where and when is this battle happening?" She asked in a low tone as she heard Harry and Ron having a heated discussion about what to do with her in the background. Harry wanted to apprehend her apparently. Well, she'd like to see him try. The snatcher still didn't give her the information she needed so she twisted the knife sharply causing his screams to echo through the woods.

"We need to stop her!" Harry shouted.

"We need this information just as much as she does." Ron said quietly.

"We don't torture people for information!" Harry argued.

"Malfoy Manor! At dusk!" The snatcher screamed, at last.

"What is your leader planning?" She asked urgently as she noticed the sun had almost set, she really was running out of time.

"Fuck you!" He shouted. She pulled the knife out of his shoulder and stabbed it instantly into his other and twisted hard. "He has a man on the inside! You'll be widowed before the battle even starts!" He screamed.

She felt dread sink into her stomach like a bolder sinking to the bottom of the ocean and her heart skipped a beat. She yanked the knife out, quickly took the holster from the dead snatchers body and fastened it around her waist. She then finally turned to her friends. Harry had his wand pointed square at her chest. "I need to go I don't have much time." She said quietly but firmly.

"I can't let you do that." He said as he gripped his wand tightly.

"If they kill Draco we won't stand a chance Harry."

"We have an equal chance either way."

"You can't just expect to kill one of them and for everything to change overnight! It's going to take years of work to change everybody's mind-set! If you kill Draco someone will replace him! You kill the King and someone will replace him too!"

"Then we will just keep killing until we get somewhere." Harry countered nastily.

"Then what makes you so much better than him!?" She shouted. "He's not a bad person! He has the power to change this! He's the only one who can! I need to go!" She said desperately. "I can't do this without you." She added, her eyes pleading.

"You expect us to help?" Harry scoffed.

"If you really want peace, you will fight alongside us not against us." She said.

"You can't brainwash us the same way he's brainwashed you."

"I'm still me! This is bigger than your pathetic feud with Draco!"

"I should have killed you when I had the chance. You're just as dangerous as he is. You've just proved that." He spat and flicked his eyes to the bodies around them, dead and alive. Hermione used this to her advantage and drew her wand while his eyes were away from her.

"I guess you should have." She said as she pointed her wand at him. "That's the only way you could have stopped me from loving him."

Her words were like a knife through his heart as he stood and looked at the woman he used to love. "He killed Ginny." He said, knowing that it would strike a chord.

"We killed Ginny!" She countered taking him by surprise. "You betrayed her and I betrayed Draco that night, and we got what we deserved."

"Is that what he told you?" Harry asked and was pleased with the silence he'd caused with the statement.

After a few moments she took a deep breath. "I'm going back to him." She said finally.

"Stupefy!" A red light erupted from Harry's wand and spiralled towards her. She blocked it easily and then disapparatted out of sight with a clap so loud it sounded like it shook every single tree in the forest.

Hermione landed ungracefully in a heap on the ground after her quick getaway. She quickly scrambled to her feet, dusted herself off and ran as fast as she could. She knew the Manor was just over this hill, the hill she'd ran across with Ron and Harry only days before in order to escape. She reached the top and gazed upon the Manor in all its glory as the sun set behind it. A place that had once unnerved her and sent tingles of fear through her veins was now more welcoming than anywhere else she'd ever been.

She was home.

The wind whipped around her roughly, flicking her hair into her face as she figured out where to begin, she definitely wasn't safe by herself out in the open like this. Just then she saw a cloud of smoke starting to rise from the front of the Manor, it grew thicker and thicker until she could see the tips of an inferno dancing in the wind just over the majestic rooftops. It had begun.

She sprinted across the gardens, passing through the wards at the back of the Manor effortlessly as the enemies on the other side were trying to breach them from the front. She heard the sound of spells being fired from behind her. She took a glance back to see a crowd of men standing on the hill where she'd stood only moments ago, firing spells mercilessly at the invisible barrier protecting her home while another group set fire to the trees around the other side of the Manor.

She ran quickly to the back door and pulled on it hard. It was locked of course. She pulled out her wand and tried to unlock it with magic but still no luck.

"Come on!" She said desperately as she cast the spell again. She felt a bony hand wrap around her arm and she flinched as dread sank into her stomach. She quickly flicked around and pointed her wand into the enemies face.

"How dare you point your wand at me?" Narcissa asked boldly as she looked down her nose at Hermione.

Hermione let out a breath she didn't realise she'd been holding in. "I'm sorry I thought you were- you know." She said sheepishly.

"You came back?" Narcissa asked, and Hermione could swear she saw the faintest smile grace over her lips for a split second.

"I couldn't leave him." She said and then looked back to the men who were still trying to get through the wards behind her.

"He isn't going to be happy you've come back here. He gave you a chance at life and you've thrown it away." Narcissa said, as if the men in the distance meant nothing to her at all, as if they weren't even there.

"I'd rather die tonight than live a million years without Draco." Hermione said sincerely.

Narcissa looked at her for a few seconds silently with her cold look set firmly in place, and then out of nowhere pulled Hermione into a ridged hug. This had probably shocked Hermione more than anything else in her entire life, but to be honest, it was just what she needed right now. Then it dawned on her again. He was in danger.

"He's in trouble, someone has betrayed him. I need to help him." Hermione said urgently.

"Then waste no more time." Narcissa said as she pulled away, she gestured to a bush that was growing up the walls of the Manor. "Through there." She said just as a small army of Death Eater's emerged from around the corner to defend this side of the grounds.

"Will you be alright?" Hermione asked, clearly concerned.

"What do you take me for?" Narcissa asked with a smirk and then drew her wand. "Go!" She demanded and then stormed off with her expensive royal blue robes blowing in the wind.

Hermione dashed to the bush and threw herself into it and collided into a hard wooden door. That would definitely leave a bruise. She thought bitterly. She ripped open the door and ran aimlessly through the halls trying to find something she recognised. Where the hell would he be?! She finally came to the main entrance halls and ran quickly up the stairs, tripping up the last few in her frantic rush, smashing her shins into the hard concrete steps. She quickly dragged herself up and ran through the pain.

She heard a barrage of spells from the corridor to her right, in the direction of their bedroom and she ran as fast as her legs would carry her, passed the library and then finally to their door. She stopped suddenly, panting and shaking as she listened to the fight coming from the inside. She took a deep breath and flung the door open. The fighting stopped suddenly and the first thing she saw was Devereux' confused face looking back at her. He was bleeding from his eyebrow and was clearly out of breath.

Before she could say a word he grabbed her roughly, wrapped his arm around her throat and pointed his wand into the side of her head as he stood behind her. The next person she saw was Draco, standing with his back to the shattered bedroom window with his wand pointed at the pair of them. Hermione couldn't work out the look on his face, it was blank and emotionless, but his eyes were so dark with anger they were almost black, she'd never seen them like it before.

"You just couldn't stay away." Devereux said into her ear. "I didn't want you getting caught up in this."

She wanted to reach for her wand, but knew he would probably feel her move so decided not to just yet. She just looked into Draco's eyes, and prayed he would know how sorry she was for putting him in this position.

"Stand down, or I'll redecorate these walls with your wife's blood." Devereux said clearly. Draco didn't respond, he didn't even move.

"I can't believe it's you." Hermione said quietly. "I didn't want to believe it. You're our friend!"

He pushed his wand into her head a little harder and Hermione noticed Draco's grip on his wand tighten. "I have no friends, only duty." He said firmly.

"This whole time you've been against us?" Hermione asked sadly, truly hurt by his betrayal.

"No." Devereux said defensively. "He's losing this war." He said and pointed his head in Draco's direction. "I made a deal. If I kill him, I will be forgiven, and so will the people I care about."

"Don't you care about us?" Hermione asked sadly.

"Of course I do!" He said through gritted teeth.

"Who are you protecting?" She asked, not caring if she was pushing her boundaries.

"My children." He whispered after a moment, he sounded desperate.

"Children?" Hermione asked, surprised.

"The King's children- they're mine." He explained so quietly Hermione barely heard him. "I fell in love with his wife. He found out about us and I had to leave, he wanted my head on a spike for what I'd done to him, I can't say I blame him though, I am his brother after all, and I hurt him more than anybody else could have."

"I still don't understand." She whispered.

"The children only lived so nobody would find out about how his own family had betrayed him. He carried on pretending they were his. I had them rescued because I was confident we would win but now.. if Draco loses…"

"He'll kill them and say they were lost in the battle." Hermione finished for him.

"Clever girl." Devereux said and then looked up to Draco again. He was gripping his wand so tightly his knuckles where white. "I can see why you love her, but if you don't surrender, the next thing you'll see is her lying dead on the floor." Devereux warned.

Draco loosened his grip on his wand and began to lower it.

"Don't do it Draco!" Hermione shouted but he just looked at her and continued to lower his wand.

"How do I know she will be safe?" Draco asked, his voice cut through the air like a knife.

"I've spoken with my brother, I've told him about her, if she swears fealty to him she will have a long and happy life, he's very impressed with what I've told him." Devereux said.

"I'll never betray Draco!" Hermione shouted as she squirmed in his arms.

"How do I know I can trust you?" Draco asked, his tone was like ice.

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice." He said and pulled Hermione firmly into place as she struggled.

"Okay." Draco said. "Take my life in exchange for hers." He said and completely lowered his wand.

Devereux removed his wand from Hermione's head and pointed it towards Draco, but as soon as he'd moved Hermione desperately reached for hers and stung him, in what she thought was his stomach. In the moment that he faltered she pushed herself away and turned to face him. She could hear spells now, blasting from outside the room and could smell smoke in the air. "Stupefy!" She shouted and blasted Devereux into the wall.

Hermione looked at Devereux and noticed he'd began to stir and his eyes were about to flick open. She pointed her wand at him again and disarmed him before he could wake. He opened his eyes and looked at her sadly. "I was a fool to doubt the two of you. I know I'm done for, but for what it's worth, I am truly sorry."

Hermione didn't say anything, she couldn't find any words for him. She could hear the intruders in the Manor getting closer and closer and she knew they had to do something, her and Draco couldn't fight them alone.

Suddenly Draco grabbed her wrist and pulled her past their broken bed and over to the broken window. She looked at Devereux again. "My children have family in France, when you win, please take them there." He said sadly.

Draco wrapped an arm tightly around her, pulled her flush against his body and pointed his wand at Devereux with the other, with a swift flick and a blast of green light Dimitri Devereux was dead. Draco wrapped his other arm around Hermione and threw himself and Hermione through the broken window frame just as the bedroom door was blasted off its hinges. They flew through the air together like the black smoke that had now completely surrounded the Manor.

* * *

 **With special thanks to my beta reader, ShepardMasterMind.**


	27. Chapter 27

Hermione closed her eyes tightly and felt her stomach churning as she and Draco blasted through the darkening sky. Hermione suddenly hit the ground hard and was rolling through damp mud and grass. She quickly propped herself up on her hands and knees and looked around for Draco who she'd lost contact with roughly during their landing. She found him not too far away lying on his back, just beginning to sit up. His clothes were muddy and his hair was a mess, it was the first time she'd ever seen him not looking picture perfect.

"Sorry, I've never done that with another person before," Draco said as he pushed himself up and dusted himself down. He walked over to Hermione and extended his hand to help her up with a loving look on his face, she didn't return it though, even though she was more than happy to be back with him where she belonged, she loathed him for sending her away like he did, for causing her so much pain.

Hermione ignored Draco's hand and pushed herself to her feet ungracefully, then glared at him silently. Draco opened his mouth to speak again but was silenced as Hermione slapped him as hard as she possibly could around his face leaving traces of mud and dried blood across his cheek. He looked at her again, the loving look was gone and had been replaced with one of complete shock.

"Okay, I deserved that," Draco admitted. Hermione wasn't satisfied though and tried to strike him again. Draco's reflexes were too fast this time and he grabbed her wrist before it came into contact with his face again. "Don't push your luck," he warned. Hermione tried with her other hand, ignoring his warning and attempting to hit him again, but he just effortlessly grabbed that one too. Draco stood holding onto both of her wrists and noticed the dried blood all over her hands. "What have you done?" Draco asked as he examined them.

"I did what I had to do," Hermione spat.

Draco moved closer towards her seemed to smell her hair. She knew what he was doing. He was searching for traces of dark magic - his closeness making her knees weak. Hermione had missed him so much but she couldn't let him get away with what he'd put her through and knew she had to stay mad at him.

"You've killed again, haven't you?" Draco asked as he pulled away from her slightly, but not releasing her wrists, knowing she'd probably try to attack him again if he did.

"I did a lot of things to get back to you. I'm not sorry. You see, unlike you, I actually care about us," she spat. Hermione knew she couldn't really say he didn't care about her, he'd just been willing to give up his life for her, but she wanted him to know that sending her away was the wrong way to show it.

"You remember everything?" Draco asked curiously.

"Every heart-shattering moment," Hermione told him, her voice cracking slightly under the pressure of the grief the memory caused. He looked at her seriously for a moment before his eyes turned sad.

"How?" Draco asked.

"You once told me the secret behind my necklace, do you remember?" Hermione asked as she touched it, it was so warm, and so soothing.

"Your father charmed it so one day; it might remind you who you truly are," Draco recalled with understanding as he remembered. "I thought I was doing the right thing," he added and then looked away from her as he finally released his solid grip around her wrists. Hermione thought about hitting him again but decided against it. _This_ was the pain she'd been waiting to see, but it didn't make her feel as good as she thought it would, she just felt empty again.

"I'd like my necklace back," She said finally, not knowing what else to say, "I've realised how important some necklaces can be and I want the one you gave to me back - the emerald one."

"Trust me, you don't," Draco said, looking at her again, this time confused.

"Now!" Hermione demanded suddenly.

Draco raised an eyebrow at her and smirked, "you're in no place to be throwing around orders."

"I know you have it… I can _feel_ it," Hermione said longingly.

"Why do you want it so badly?" Draco asked.

"It makes me feel connected to you, I don't know why."

 _Because it's a piece of my soul_ , he thought.

Draco considered it for a few seconds, not sure whether or not to give it to her, of course she was right - he did indeed have it. Finally he reached into his pocket and pulled out the emerald Horcrux and gently fastened it around her neck. Hermione felt the power of it as soon as it made contact with her skin again and breathed deeply, "thank you," she said as she felt Draco's power coursing through her veins once again.

"Anything for my Princess," Draco said and pulled her close to him. "I'm never letting you go again, I promise," he said as he held her tightly in his arms. He was complete again.

Hermione wanted to stay in his arms forever but knew she couldn't, she knew they had to go back. She reluctantly pulled away and looked back to the burning Manor in the distance, "They're destroying our home," she said sadly causing Draco to look as well.

"Are you ready to go back, to fight for it, by my side?" Draco asked as he held her.

"No," Hermione said honestly, "but I will. Nothing could keep me away."

"Just remember everything I've taught you," Draco said as he looked down on her. "I'll die before I let anything bad happen to you."

"That's what worries me the most," Hermione said and looked up at him.

Draco placed his forehead against hers and took a deep breath. "Hold on tight," he said and tightened his grip around her, pulling her close to him once again. "I love you, more than anything."

"I love you too, Draco," Hermione said as she held onto him as tightly as she could, knowing that it could be the last time.

Without another word they began to fly through the air again leaving a trail of black smoke in their wake. They landed better this time, although still very roughly and straight into the middle of the battlefield at the rear of the Manor.

It was completely dark now but the flames from the inferno that had now engulfed the manor cast a warm glow across the grounds, mixed with blasts of green light, being fired from every direction.

Hermione raised her wand with one hand and held the handle of the knife in her holster with the other. It wasn't too long before she had a hooded man running towards her with his wand raised, but he was struck dead by Draco before she could even think about defending herself. It was so hard to tell who was an enemy and who was not.

Hermione stayed close to Draco, they moved almost back-to-back through the crowds firing at anyone who raised a wand in their direction. There was no plan other than to murder, something Hermione definitely wasn't accustomed to.

Hermione noticed Narcissa in the distance duelling with three wizards, she was clearly becoming overwhelmed. Without really giving it a second thought, Hermione instinctively left Draco's side and sprinted towards Narcissa to aid her, firing unfriendly spells as she ran, and dodging just as many as she fired. Hermione heard Draco shout her name and she took a quick glance back as she ran. Draco was definitely the person everybody wanted to fight, but he seemed to be having no problem defending himself. Narcissa needed her help more than Draco did, so she continued to run.

When Hermione finally reached her mother-in-law she stood with her back-to-back, and protected her from behind as Narcissa mercilessly killed the wizards who had dared to challenge her. Hermione hadn't been using unforgivables, but as she narrowly avoided what felt like the tenth killing curse that had been fired at her she decided to change her approach. Hermione fired the killing curse at a crazed looking witch who was charging towards her and Narcissa wielding what looked like a flaming battle axe. The witch fell into the dirt with a thud, her enchanted battle-axe falling on top of her, setting her dead body ablaze almost instantly. The curse had felt more powerful than it had when Hermione had used it in the woods - it was almost effortless to cast. Draco's necklace definitely had something to do with it but Hermione didn't have time to analyse that now.

As Hermione and Narcissa moved together in battle, Hermione suddenly she tripped over something small and hit the muddy ground awkwardly. She looked up and landed eyes on Professor Flitwick who was covered in mud and ash. "Miss Granger, get to your feet immediately!" He said urgently as he pushed her up. When Hermione was standing again Flitwick fired a spell at a wizard who had just raised his wand at them, the spell turned the man into hundreds of bubbles, and once they'd all popped there was no trace of him left. "I'll support Professor Malfoy - find Draco!" He shouted and then joined Narcissa in her seemingly never-ending battle. Every time Narcissa defeated an enemy another would take his place.

Hermione looked around for Draco but couldn't see him through the crowds of fighting witches and wizards. She ran through the masses of people, dodging and firing spells with almost every step. Hermione was already so tired and so drained she didn't know how she was going to get through the battle. Hermione tripped again as she dodged a curse and landed face-first into the dirt. She was just about to get up when she noticed a wand pointing directly into her face.

Hermione's stomach sank as she stared into the eyes of death.

Hermione felt a wrinkled hand wrap around hers, and then with a gut churning twist the wand was gone, and so was she.

Hermione looked around to find that she was no longer in the thick of a fighting and was now lying on her front, on the side-line of the battle. Hermione looked up to see Trixie the house elf looking down on her with wide eyes. "Trixie lives to serve the Malfoys," said the elf kindly, "Trixie saved Lady Malfoy," she said proudly, her big saucepan eyes glowing with pride as the battle raged behind her.

"Thank y-" Hermione began but was cut short as a green light consumed the elf's body, the light flicked through the elf's bright eyes briefly, before they turned dim and lifeless and she dropped to the ground.

Hermione rolled onto her back to find the source of the curse and found Pansy looming over her with a manic gleam in her eyes. "Expelliarmus!" Hermione shouted and disarmed Pansy before she could bring her to the same fate as Trixie. Once unarmed, Pansy lunged at Hermione, landing on top if her, taking her by complete surprise.

They both now had a firm grip on Hermione's wand as they thrashed around the floor fighting for it with everything they had. Hermione head-butted Pansy in the nose as hard as she possibly could as the two of them fought for control of the wand. She felt a sharp pain in her head and then felt the warmth of blood trickling down her face. There was another blow of pain and a flash of white light over her eyes as Pansy punched her in the face and grabbed hold of Hermione's wand again - but Hermione wasn't about to just let her have it without a fight.

They rolled through the mud as they fought; Hermione finally got on top of Pansy and pinned her arms down with her knees as she thrashed beneath her. Hermione took a good look at her face and figured by the deformed shape of Pansy's nose that she'd probably broken it when she'd head-butted her.

 _Good._

"My King will kill you when I tell him what you've done to me!" Pansy squealed as she tried to escape.

Hermione rolled her eyes. _Her King._ It was actually laughable. Pansy really had done the rounds. It made her sick to her stomach that this glory hunting little bitch had even been in the same room as Draco. "Don't think for a second that you're going to live to tell the tale," Hermione said darkly as she loomed over her.

"You haven't got it in you," Pansy spat as she struggled to free her arms.

"I think you'll find Draco is a _very_ good teacher," Hermione said and revelled in the jealousy that was now in Pansy's eyes, "one of his many, _many_ talents. Not that you'd know of course, with him hating you the entire time you were together. Do you ever try to imagine what it's like to have him love you? I can tell you if you like?"

"He doesn't love you!" Pansy said in denial, " _YOU FILTHY HALF-BLOOD!_ " Pansy screamed manically with disgust and anger. Hermione punched her hard in the face causing even more blood to pour from Pansy's nose.

"Yet I'm the one he gave his name to," Hermione reminded her, "Hermione _Malfoy_ \- has a ring to it don't you agree? Hermione Malfoy the _half-blood_ \- and he still loves me more than he would _ever_ have loved you."

Pansy's eyes began to roll back into her head as she rolled out of consciousness, "oh no you don't!" Hermione shouted as she shook her by the shoulders, "I'm not done with you yet!"

Pansy suddenly freed one of her arms and grabbed Hermione around the throat. Hermione grabbed the knife from her holster and without another word she plunged it into the side of Pansy's neck. Pansy's loosened her grip and moved her hand to the deadly wound as the blood from it poured relentlessly.

"Hmmm, this looks familiar…" Hermione mused as Pansy bled out beneath her, "this is just how you killed Cecil, my muggle-born friend. The only difference is, I don't see _anyone_ rushing to help _you_." Hermione spat. "I vowed I would be the one to kill you, and Draco said he'd offer you to me on a plate. Thank you for saving him the trouble. He's going to be _so proud_ of me," Hermione taunted as the life drained out of Pansy beneath her.

 _Pitiful._

Hermione pushed herself up when she'd grown tired of hearing Pansy gargling on her own blood, which took longer than she'd ever admit out loud.

Hermione stumbled along as she realised how lightheaded she was, she could see spots as she walked but knew she had to get back to Draco. With her wand raised Hermione ran back towards the fight on unsteady legs, she could barely see and didn't know what was pushing her forwards but whatever it was, she was glad for it.

As Hermione was running something grabbed her arm and swung her around, she focused her vision onto Draco's face for only a fraction of a second before she was pulled against his chest. She wanted to just collapse but she knew she couldn't.

"I thought you were dead!" Draco said in a shaky voice. He pushed her away slightly and cupped her face in his hand, more roughly than he'd intended to. Draco looked into her eyes as he touched her, almost as if he was trying to make sure he wasn't imagining it. He wrapped his fingers into her hair slightly and pulled her back against his body, and held her with unforgiving force. "What happened to you?"

"Pansy..." Hermione said and acknowledged the pain of losing the loyal elf for the first time as she felt her stomach drop at the thought of the poor elf dying.

"Pansy?" Draco asked as he pushed Hermione's head away from him again and looked seriously into her eyes. "She did this to you?" Draco asked angrily as he looked at Hermione's muddy, blood-smeared face.

"She looks a lot worse," Hermione said with a faint smile.

"Where is she? I'll kill her for laying a finger on you!"

"Probably dead already by now I reckon," Hermione said and then examined the fresh blood glistening all over her hands.

Draco smirked, "that's my girl," he said and then wiped the blood away from Hermione's eyes with his sleeve before he grabbed her bloody hand. "Come on, stay close this time."

Hermione was dragged along by Draco as they ran back towards the Manor. There was hardly anyone left living on the battlefield, but those who were still alive seemed to be Draco's men.

"We've cleared this side," Narcissa said as she wiped blood from her wand onto her otherwise immaculate robes. Hermione was amazed how Narcissa managed to look so perfect all the time, no matter what she was doing. She suddenly felt uncomfortable as she looked down at her own clothes; she was covered in dirt and blood. Hermione looked up at Draco and was a little relieved to see his hair was messy and he too had blood and mud dotted over his face. "I've heard the team at the front of the Manor aren't doing so well." Narcissa added.

"We need to get there right away," Draco said as he considered his mother's words.

"Don't you think it would be better if you and your wife went somewhere else? I'm sure that Blaise and I will be able to clear up the rest," Narcissa offered.

"No, If I'm not willing to fight then why should they?" Draco said assertively. "Professor Flitwick, we need some rain to put out this fire, could you arrange that please?"

"Well of course I can, but it will make the fighting conditions much worse." Professor Flitwick warned him.

"I know, but I need to save what's left of our home," Draco said sadly and then looked up to the Manor which was still engulfed in flames.

"Then it is done," Flitwick said and pulled out his wand and began to swish it around in complicated patterns.

"Let's go," Draco said and grabbed Hermione's hand again and guided her around the side of the Manor quietly as small droplets of rain began to fall from the sky. "We stay together this time, do you understand? If I lose you then I've lost this battle," Draco said and looked at her dead in the eyes as they came to a standstill. "Promise me," He demanded as the rain started to fall more heavily from the sky.

"I promise," Hermione said and Draco looked away and continued to lead her. The sounds of fighting grew louder in her ears the closer they got to the front of the Manor. Eventually it was so loud she couldn't even hear what Draco was saying to her this time, she could only see his lips moving.

As they turned the corner to the front of the Manor Hermione gasped and gripped her wand tightly. She looked over the masses of people fighting in front of her and swallowed hard. There must have been hundreds, thousands, she didn't even know. The rain was now pelting down onto her, soaking her clothes and slowly washing the dirt and blood off her face. The chaos was like nothing she'd ever seen before as Draco led her closer to the battle slowly.

"We stay and fight from here ok?" Draco shouted over the noise, "let them come to us!"

Hermione nodded and then jumped out of her skin as Blaise seemed to appear from nowhere beside them. He looked shocked to see her but it only lasted a fraction of a second before he quickly turned his attention to Draco. "It's not looking good my Lord!" Blaise shouted. "We're outnumbered two to one at least!"

"Don't worry, it's not about numbers, it's about power!" Draco shouted. "We're not dying tonight!"

Blaise nodded and then he was gone just as quickly as he'd appeared.

Draco pointed his wand into the crowd of people and looked hard through the rain. He and Hermione stood side by side and fired spell after spell at the oncoming enemies, the droves of people coming towards them seemed to get thicker and thicker. Hermione dodged a number of killing curses and was uncomfortable with the amount of space it had forced between her and Draco. A quick glance in his direction showed her that he wasn't happy with it either but was unable to do anything about it as he locked wands with a young wizard. The bolts of blue and red joined together and Draco would occasionally flick his wand slightly, causing purple sparks to fly out of the connection between their wands, which would shoot down anyone else who tried to attack while his wand was preoccupied. Hermione admired him for a moment, he truly was talented.

Hermione's attention was taken away from Draco as she noticed a jet of green light hurtling towards her, she tried to move, but she wasn't fast enough.

Draco saw Hermione fall to the ground in a flash of green light out of the corner of his eye and stopped casting his spell immediately. He glanced at Hermione's body, which was lifeless and unmoving on the slick wet ground beneath her.

 _No! Please no!_

The grief passed through Draco's entire body sending him numb as he fell to his knees. The wizard he had been duelling with smiled menacingly as he tightened his grip around his wand. Draco didn't want to fight anymore. There was nothing left to fight for. He wanted the wizard in front of him to strike him dead in this moment of grief.

Draco saw a bolt of green light hurtling towards him but he didn't move - didn't even flinch. He closed his eyes and waited for the release of death, as to find his wife in the afterlife, but to his utter bewilderment it never came. Draco opened his eyes again in confusion to find the wizard had now connected wands with somebody else. Draco turned and looked behind him to see none other than Harry Potter standing there, wand locked and duelling with the wizard who had just tried to strike Draco down dead.

"Go to her!" Harry shouted as he struggled against the killing curse his wand was connected with. "Go to her now!"


End file.
